A Heart's Fear
by Serenita
Summary: He has always felt something for her, but her safety came before his own desires. When captured by a dangerous terrorist group they are forced to recognize their true feelings for each other while facing their worst fears come true. SxK
1. Chapter One: How to Live, How to Breathe

This is my first FMP fic (so please be nice!). I have liked the Manga and Anime for quite sometime but have only recently had the inspiration for this fic. Please enjoy and all reviews are deeply appreciated!

Disclaimer: No I don't own Full Metal Panic or any of it's characters

But all Russian and Miscilanious Dudes are so mine

There is also a direct scence from the Manga (2nd issue) it's in italics and it belongs to Shouji Gatou and Retsu Tateo

Enjoy!

Serenita

Chapter One: How to Live, How to Breathe

Sosuke Sagara lay in his usually comfortable bed, tossing and turning on this somewhat chilly October night. He sighed in exhaustion, lying flat on his back as he glanced at the clock next to his bed. It glared back at him evilly showing that the time was 3:30 AM. He huffed in frustration as he pulled his covers up around him and turned onto his side away from the clock of death. If he wasn't so tired or that he didn't have neighbors on the other side of the wall he would have shot the clock with the mini Uzi that lay between the mattresses directly under the headboard.

He would have to get up in three hours so he would be ready to walk Kaname to school in the morning. He normally did not have to walk her to school. Usually he would follow behind her from a safe distance, giving her space so he did not feel like he was a total stalker. She had to deal with him most of the day, so he would graciously give her those twenty minutes of peace before he would have to be by her side, to be her bodyguard. Normally he could agree to this, but unfortunately he had received word two weeks ago that Kaname was yet again targeted for capture. Mithril suspected it was from a group of Terrorists in Siberia who called themselves the 'Silent Death'. Over 25 of the 80 members were on the top security most wanted list and had death warrants out for them and another 15 of them were on a list that was considered to hold the most dangerous criminals in the world.

So once again Kaname's life was in danger and it was up to Sosuke to protect her with any means possible, including his life. He did not regret this mission that had been given to him a half a year ago. Although many people would not want to put their life on the line for a whispered like Kaname he secretly wished that he could have this mission for the rest of his life. But this was a dark thing that he dare not utter to single soul. He could not even show it on his face or even tell her how pure and deep his feelings were. For if he did, it would most certainly mean her death, and that was the worst possible torture and hell he could ever live in.

Sosuke, being apart of a military agent such as Mithril, was a major target for most terrorist groups around the world. Endangering himself he could handle, he had lived in such potential danger for most of his life. He knew how to handle it and protect himself. But if anything happened to Kaname…

He shuttered, bringing the blankets closer around his perfectly toned, muscular body clad in only a pair of drawstring pants. His dark hair matted itself to his forehead as he had suddenly broken out in a sweat. His grey eyes darted around the room expertly, examining his surroundings as uneasiness fell upon him.

_Kaname…_

Her face suddenly appeared to him. Her smiling face with that smile that he had learned she saved just for him. The one she gave when she felt he had done something stupid or crazy but still appreciated…cared for him. He could hear her laugh in his head as he could see it gleaming in her eyes. Her long blue hair was loose and blowing in the wind as her brown eyes bore into his with intensity.

He shivered at the memory. It was from their last trip to the beach with their friends and they had gone off looking for shells on their own (she had pulled him with her). He had looked through the sand with her and found a crab crawling dangerously closer to her. He had pulled his gun and she hit him over the head giving the crab time to escape. She had yelled at him for attempting to hurt an innocent crustacean when he calmly explained to her in his practical military voice that he feared it would bite her or hurt her and that it was just a small stun-gun which would only surprise the crustacean into running away. He watched her face change from anger to shock to a warm and laughing smile that he had imprinted on his heart. He could even hear her sweet voice echoing in his ears as she had laughed and shook her head at him.

_"Oh Sosuke…sometimes I just don't know what to do with you!"_

Sosuke sighed once again, suddenly feeling cold as he bundled the covers around him even tighter. He had realized that day the intensity of his feelings for her. That they weren't just stirrings of affection for one of the only real friends he had or that she was the first girl he had ever been physically attracted to. He realized that he loved her for every little thing that was hers. He loved her soul, her laugh, the way she glared at him when he'd done something crazy, her tears, her sweet face as she watched the sunset, the expression she got when he'd surprise her, but most of all he loved the courage that she had and the passion that she showed in all that she did.

He first realized the existence of his true feelings for her on that day when he fought with Gauron for the first time since he was only know as Kashim, the day Kaname had been kidnapped. It was on that day that Kaname opened herself up to him and showed him all that she would do for him, for the world. He was amazed by her courage and her skill in handling what would normally be a frightening situation. She saved a lot of people that day, but she also saved him by showing him that there was still a small piece of humanity left in him. She saw it when he couldn't even see it anymore, and she showed him on that day with her words and actions.

_He stood there silently, solemnly, his gun pointed at her unmoving, waiting for her to make a decision, make her choice._

"_**So, you're going to shoot me if I don't go?"** She asked in disbelief._

"_**That's correct."** He answered in an emotionless tone. Surprise ran through him as a small smile appeared on her face. She walked towards him, her arms opening slightly._

"_**I'm not scared..."** He felt her arms wrap around him in a tight embrace, resting her head softly against his chest. He felt his arm shutter as he lowered his gun to his side. **"…because…I believe in you now."** She said in a voice almost like a whisper. He felt the gun slip from his hands and heard it clatter upon the ground. **"I was so scared of you a minute ago…because you were acting like a stranger to me, but…when you told me to trust you, I felt like I had to pull together and help you as much as I could. I can't loose sight of that now."** He felt her grip on her tighten as his features and whole stature soften. She pulled away from him to meet his eyes but never loosened her hold on him as she stared at him defiantly. **"So we're going to keep fighting… as long as we're still alive! We're going home together!"**_

Those words echoed in his head as the memory receded. She wouldn't leave him there alone. Even after she voice her fear of him, even after he had pointed a gun at her and threatened to shoot her if she did not leave. He only feared for her, he was trembling inside at the idea of her being killed on the field because of Kurtz and him being injured. But she walked forward with a simple smile and embraced him letting him know that she believed in him, that she wasn't afraid of him and that she would not leave him there alone. She would be with him or no where.

In that moment he knew that she meant so much more to him than any friend could. He realized that he had protected her before with such zeal because of his feelings for her and that he couldn't imagine doing anything but protecting her. If she left him, if she hated him…he would break.

Sosuke shut his eyes tightly trying to will sleep to come. He wouldn't be able to be an effective bodyguard if he wasn't well rested. But also, he wouldn't be able to be as attentive to Kaname if he was tired and then she would worry about him. He couldn't have that, not when she was in the mortal peril that she was.

He took a deep, calming breath and slowly exhaled, relaxing and feeling sleep creep up upon him. She was fine. He would be with her so she'd be just fine.

She had to be.

His last conscious thought was that he would be near her in three hours.

Sosuke knocked quickly on the door the Kaname's apartment and received an "I'll be right there Sosuke!" in response. It was 7:30 in the morning and having only gotten three hours of sleep the night before Sosuke found himself unusually sluggish. He was found by Kaname leaning against the doorframe with is head resting on his hand with his eyes closed. He jerked to attention as soon as he realized that she was staring at him curiously and straightened himself out.

"Good Morning, Chidori." He said in his usual tone. She raised an eyebrow at him and his curious actions.

"Good Morning Sosuke. Are you feeling alright?" She asked in a concerned voice. She reached to place her hand on his forehead. "You don't have a fever, do you?" He froze suddenly when her cool hand came in contact with him. He found himself suddenly speechless and immobile. She pulled away from him. "Hmm… you don't seem to have a fever…" She speculated. Sosuke suddenly became attentive and cleared his throat.

"Uh…negative, Chidori. I don't have a fever. I'm fine." He said.

"Are you sure?"

"Affirmative." Kaname sighed.

"Would you please stop with the military talk? It's too early in the morning for it. And Sosuke, you don't have to be so formal…we've been on a first name basis for months. What's the suddenly change?" She asked with curiosity. A sudden stroke of fear ran through him.

"Uh…nothing. Nothing's changed Chi…Kaname. And military talk stopping noted. I will try." She watched him for a moment before shrugging and walked ahead of him, closing the door behind her.

"I suppose that that's all I can hope for. Come on Sosuke, we'll be late."

"Right." He said before catching up to her side, chatting with her casually and filling his position of being her body guard.

As they walked she talked going on about how much school was going to suck today because of the quizzes and the homework that she didn't do. He watched her out of the corner of his eyes, a small smile creeping upon his lips.

But he dare not show anymore emotion. He had a fear that she could see right through him. That she would look at him and shutter in disgust. If she ever knew what he was truly thinking, what he truly thought about her, he feared that she would hate him. To have such feelings reject would most certainly kill him.

Dark eyes from behind the tinted panes of the car watched the two teenagers walk down the street seemingly very unprotected. The eyes flickered recognizing the girl with the long blue hair and wild antics to be the target, but her accomplice was implacable and yet completely all too familiar.

"Oduvan, have you sighted the target?" A voice spoke in Russian out from the two way communicator resting next to him.

"Affirmative, Nadej. They are sighted." He replied in Russian.

"They?" Nadej asking in confusion.

"Yes, she has an accomplice…perhaps protection?"

"What does this accomplice look like?" Nadej asked with curiosity.

"Tall, dark hair, grey eyes, about 16 or 17, wears the school uniform of the targets school, stern expression, scar on the left side of the face near the lower jaw line." Nadej was silent for a moment, as if hesitant.

"Sir?" Oduvan asked.

"Watch them. Watch them closely. If it's just the boy then the mission will be simple. Wait out where you are until this afternoon, backup will be there to help you capture the girl. Kill the boy."

"Understood."

"And Oduvan…"

"Sir?"

"Don't fail me."

"I won't sir…" He received dead air in response. His dark eyes rose to the pair as they were now further down the street. His eyes narrowed with a determination and a malice that was somehow deeply terrifying.

"I won't."


	2. Chapter Two: I Must Be Dreaming

Just changing the format around a little bit. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: FMP, not mine, all other Russian dudes…mine

Chapter Two

"So in this new Arm Slave you see they added this new weapon system which increases its defense system immensely. Also…" Shinji explained excitedly as he waved the latest magazine in his hands in Sousuke's face. Normally Sousuke would humor him, listen intently and comment for him. But on this day Sousuke felt just so worn down that he couldn't produce enough energy to pretend to be interested in things that he had received knowledge about months before. He didn't even realize that he was staring out the window with his head resting wearily in his hands until Shinji waved his hand in front of Sousuke's face. Sousuke jerked upright quickly, surprised by the intrusion to his vision.

"What happened?" Sousuke asked suddenly alert. Shinji looked at him with some concern.

"Are you alright Sousuke? Is something wrong? You just don't seem like yourself today." Sousuke sighed.

"Forgive me. I'm afraid I did not sleep well last night."

"Are you sure that's all?" Shinji continued. Sousuke raised his gaze to meet Shinji's, surprise reflecting in his eyes.

"What to you mean?"

"Well, its just I've noticed for the past few weeks you've been kind of out of it. You're distracted and always in deep thought. You seem more and more exhausted everyday. It's almost like something has been eating away at you. I mean, you're not even hovering around Kaname like you always do." Sousuke stared at him for a moment, his eyes wide at the sudden revelation. He had been letting his guard down and he could have gotten Kaname killed because of his stupidity. All because he cared for her so much, just because she was all he could think about.

His face softened and he just shook his head.

"Negative. Nothing else is wrong. I'm just tired that's all. Forgive me, Shinji." Sousuke said. Shinji looked at him curiously once more before turning around and facing their teacher, Kagurazawa Sensei, as she started her lesson for the morning. Sousuke fought to pay attention to the Japanese Literature lesson but the only thing that ran through his head was his fear for Kaname. He had been letting his guard down. The members of Silent Death could have come to the school and taken her and there would have been nothing he could do about it.

Sousuke raised his gaze, turning slowly to catch a glimpse of Kaname and found himself meeting her beautiful brown eyes head on. Surprise passed through those eyes and she quickly snapped her attention toward their teacher, a touch of a pinkish hue brushing against her cheeks. She had been watching him. Was she worried for him? Oh Kaname.

'_It is only for yourself you should fear, for I fear for us both.'_ Sousuke whispered to her silently, knowing well that she would never hear him. He turned and faced the front of the classroom and pretended to be paying attention to the lesson, when all awhile he was watching, listening and waiting.

He would protect her.

His sanity depended it.

"I can't believe Kagurazawa Sensei assigned us this horrible project!" Kaname exclaimed as she walked down the empty street with Sousuke at her arm, her arms behind her head holding her school bag in her hands.

"It's not all that bad, Chidori. You only have to understand the relationship between the man and his sons. It's somewhat alike to that of a captain and his army. Once you understand that the report is fairly simple." Sousuke said with certainty, glancing at Kaname as he walked along side her. Kaname glared at him out of the corner of her eyes.

"Well excuse me, but unlike _some_ people I've never been in the military or have had to answer to a captain so I'm sure that I couldn't quite fathom that type of relationship."

"If you need help with the assignment I am more than willing to help you in any way that I can." He said with a slight smile before turning his attention to the seemingly empty street in front of him. Where were the members of Silent Death? He knew that they were out there somewhere, watching, waiting to attack when they were most unprepared, unprotected. At any moment they could turn a corner and be faced with a gun pointed at them. She was in such danger being out in the open like this. He knew that he couldn't insure her protection without preventing her from going to school and interfering with her life vastly. Every step made his chest tighten with apprehension as if it were a step closer to total disaster. He hated that she was in danger. He hated that her life was so horribly interrupted by the fact she was a whispered. He hated that he had to take away the normalcy that he knew deep down she desperately craved. He hated that he was the cause of her pains just because he would go to any lengths to keep her safe regardless of the ridiculousness. Her safety, her life, meant everything to him.

He stopped suddenly when he realized that Kaname was not beside him. He turned back and saw her standing ten feet behind him looking at him with worry. Her eyes burned into him holding a thousand unspoken words and questions that she desperately wanted to ask, to understand but settled for one question.

"Sousuke…what's wrong with you?" She asked with her voice soft and pleading, the tone and emotion in her voice making his chest hurt.

"What do you mean, Chidori?" He spoke with his voice surprisingly calm, contrary to the state his heart and mind were in. She walked towards him, determination in her stride.

"Stop with the formalities Sousuke. If I can see through that strong façade and know that something is seriously bothering you than we are way past 'Miss Chidori' and 'Sergeant Sagara'. Tell me what is up with you. You completely go into another world when we're talking and you always have this concerned look on your face. What's wrong? What's been going on with you the past few weeks?" She had moved up so that their bodies were only inches apart. So close, almost unbearably close.

"It's really nothing…" He started nonchalantly.

"Sousuke!" She said sharply, cutting him off suddenly. Her eyes burned into his, the horrible worry reflecting in them. He sighed, knowing that he could no longer keep what he had so desperately been trying to hide from her. He turned away from her as spoke to her in a monotonous tone, one alike to one he used when he delivered orders from a higher ranking officer.

"There is an elite Russian terrorist group by the name of Silent Death. They consist of over 80 members, some the most wanted in the world. They have been trying to increase their war technology and lately have set their sights on whispereds…"

"Sousuke, you mean…" Kaname started fearful surprise obvious in her voice. Sousuke turned at met her graze.

"You Kaname, they're after you." He watched as her eyes widened in shock as she took in what he had just said. "That's what's been 'with' me the past few weeks." She looked at him incredulously.

"Why…why didn't you tell me! All this time…I could have…"

"I didn't want to worry you."

"So you would rather me be in danger and not be prepared for it?" She asked anger evident in her voice.

"I would protect you. It's my mission to protect you."

"Would you stop it with this mission crap? If I'm in danger I want to know about it! I don't need you keeping things like this from me! What if I was attacked when you weren't there and I had no idea what was going on! Why do you have to act so high and mighty Sousuke! Why didn't you tell me? WHY?"

"**_Because I didn't want to ruin your life more than I already have!"_** Sousuke shouted his hands in tight fists at his sides as he spoke. Kaname hadn't realized it but as she angrily demanded answers from him Sousuke had continued to tense, continued to tremble from a deep inner battle within him. She now stared at him, in shock more than fear, unknowing how to respond to his sudden raised voice and to the words he had spoken.

"Ruin…my life? Sousuke, do you honestly believe…" She had no time to complete her sentence for she was then seized roughly by strong arms which then proceeded to through her against the brick wall of the building beside them. She started to yell and demand what the hell was going on when she found herself looking down the dark tunnel of a gun.

"You move a muscle and I kill you." The voice commanded gruffly, thickly accented, deep and rough. Kaname cautiously flicked her gaze over to Sousuke to find him being held by two men who had his arms bent at a painfully odd angle, their effect shown clearly on his face. Even though he was obviously in pain she noticed that he only watched her…and the man who had a gun pointed at her head.

"Who are you?" The man who had Kaname at gunpoint demanded roughly, the lackeys who were with him tightening their grip as if in synch with their leader. Sousuke winced but never took his gaze off of the scene before him.

"You're holding us at gunpoint in the middle of a public street in broad daylight. Do you really think that this is the place or the time to be interrogating us?" He questioned, his voice as calm as he could possibly make it. The man glared at him, grunted, and then spoke quickly in what Sousuke believed to be Russian for 'Move to the alley'. That didn't go exactly as he had planned.

The lackey's roughly moved Sousuke down the particularly secluded alley as Kaname was forced to follow behind. The lackey's held him in such a way it was almost impossible for him to try anything without risking fumbling and then placing Kaname in danger. A thousand thoughts ran through his head in those few moments but the main one that repeated through his brain like a mantra was 'To protect Kaname'. The man pushed Kaname against the wall his gun repositioned at her head.

"I'll ask again….who are you?"

"Negative." Sousuke replied simply. The man flinched, anger flashing through his eyes. He obviously wasn't told 'no' often.

"What did you say?"

"I repeat, negative. No." Sousuke watched as a tremor ran through the man. He grabbed Kaname by her hair, inclining her head against her will and placing the gun underneath her chin.

"You tell me your fuckin' name or I blow her fuckin' brains out!" He shouted his face turning crimson with the force behind his words. Fear ran like cold liquid through Sousuke's veins. He would sacrifice his identity for her protection. Hell, he would sacrifice his life for her.

"Sergeant Sousuke Sagara of Mithril." He watched carefully as the man pulled himself away from Kaname, pushing her back against the wall hard. Though his attention was turned towards Sousuke the gun was still pointed at Kaname.

"Mithril! A Sergeant from Mithril! How the hell did we get so lucky boys? We have the infamous Sergeant Sagara and the Whispered girl all in one shot." The lackey's chuckled lightly, finding this discovery humorous. Sousuke noticed that along with their sudden light-hearted attitude to their capture the tight grip that they had held on his body loosened. If it stayed that way, he would be able to take both of them out at the same time. The problem was would Sousuke be able to take out the lead man before he would almost certainly shoot him or Kaname?

"Well Mr. Sagara…" the man continued. "…I'll be nice and let you know the fate of this girl over here. After we beat you and shoot you like a dog we'll take her back to headquarters. After meeting our leaders she'll meet the rest of the team. Once she's been passed around and the men have their way with her then we'll torture her until we've broken her. She seems like a strong soul so it will be long and tedious. Once that happens then the Whispered Black Technology will flow forward, for once you broken someone, taken away anything for them to hold onto they loose the will to live and nothing matters anymore. Once we receive the information we need then we'll kill her. Perhaps we'll be merciful and it will be quick, or perhaps we'll be vicious and it will be slow and painful." The man laughed loudly in response finding the thoughts most enjoyable. Bastard.

Throughout the terrorist's speech Sousuke found himself shaking in a rage so pure he had never felt before. His body tensed and soon only one motion was within him. To kill the bastard who had dared to dream such horrible things to inflict on his Kaname. Sousuke saw red and with one quick motion he slammed both of his arms backwards, breaking the lackey's hold on him and into their stomach. This proceeded to make them bend forward in response and allowed Sousuke to continue his motion of a swift uppercut into both of their heads. The lackey's fell to the ground unconscious heavily causing the Bastard to cease his laughing quickly and look at Sousuke in surprise. The Bastard was met with two guns pointed at his head, both once belonging to his men now were being held by the young Sergeant of Mithril. The one he dared to underestimate. It would be a fatal mistake.

"Let. Kaname. Go." Sousuke said with such force through clenched teeth that caused the Bastard's eyes to widen more but he made no motion to move away from Kaname. **_"GET AWAY FROM HER NOW!"_** Sousuke bellowed, the emotion shining behind his narrowed eyes. The man shook his head.

"Now she'll die for that." He said softly. Sousuke watched as the man moved to grip the trigger, pointing the gun at Kaname's forehead. She started to scream.

Two bullets penetrated the Bastard's head just as he began to pull the trigger. His body swayed slightly as he shot the gun causing the bullet within it to move off course and plunge into the wall three inches to the right of Kaname's head. Kaname's screaming stopped as abruptly as the gunshot had as she watched the dead man in front of her start to crumple to the ground, blood pouring from the missing half of his head, his one eye still locked onto her body. Kaname stared in horror as the body went limp and hit the ground with a most sickeningly indescribable noise. Kaname realized that she had stopped breathing. She tried to take a breath and in turn started gasping, trying to calm her raising heart and her trembling body. She felt a cold wetness on her face suddenly. She looked up slowly and saw that it had begun to rain large, chilling drops.

Sousuke was suddenly in front of her, pulling her gaze to meet his, his hands on her shoulders trying to get her to look at him. He spoke to her and she could understand him but he sounded distant, as if he were shouting from very far away.

"Kaname! Are you alright?" He shouted, worry obvious with every action from his body. She just stared at him in response, her body's shaking obvious. "Kaname! Answer me! Are you alright?" He shook her trying to reach her, the knowledge of her safety to determine his next actions. She looked at him again, this time as if she could truly see him, truly hear him. She nodded slightly, speaking "Yes." In a sound softer than a whisper. Sousuke visibly relaxed. "Can you move? Can you stay standing? Do you need help?" Questions poured rapidly from his lips as his eyes roamed over her, searching for any sign of injury on her body. Kaname found herself regaining her reality, everything becoming solid and real once more. She pulled herself up, her body still trembling but her strength returning.

"I'm fine, Sousuke." She spoke her voice clear and wavering only slightly. Sousuke eyed her quickly before deciding to take her word for it. Concern still obvious in his actions. Sousuke unbuttoned the jacket from his uniform and quickly took it off. He placed it around Kaname's shoulders, pulling it tightly around her in an attempt to ensure her warmth and safety.

"Wait just a moment." Sousuke said before reaching to his shirt collar and touching a communication transmitter smaller than his fingernail attempting to contact Kurtz and Melissa.

"Urzu 6, this is Urzu 7. Come in Urzu 6."

"Urzu 7, this is Urzu 6. What's up?" Kurtz voice responded, a note of cheer in his speech. It was to be removed quickly.

"We were attacked by Silent Death. Removal and decimation is necessary." Sousuke said bitterly. He received a short note of silence.

"Where are you, Urzu 7?" Kurtz asked, the joy removed from his voice.

Sousuke told him where they were quickly before ending their conversation with 'hurry'. Sousuke turned back to Kaname finding her seeming a little more well than she had been moments before. Sousuke looked at her, a sense of dread filling him. She had come so close to death, all because of him. Because he…

"Kaname, I…" Sousuke began but was cut off with Kaname suddenly embracing him. She clung to him fiercely, holding him tightly as her body trembled. Sousuke's eyes widened in surprise, her sudden action unexpected, one he would have never predicted. He suddenly found himself holding her tightly, returning her embrace and she clung to him as if she were trying to find solace within him. He didn't know how long they stayed that way but frankly he could've cared less. He was perfect just standing there, holding her in his arms.

A few moments later Kaname pulled away from him slowly, almost reluctantly but that could have been hopeful thinking. She looked up at him, a hint of fear still resting in her eyes.

"Let's go home, Sousuke." She said softly with great apprehension. He nodded slightly, his face suddenly placed with an unreadable emotion. They started out of the alley, stepping over the body of the Bastard without thinking a thing of it and continued down the street toward home, Kaname walking noticeably close to Sousuke as she possible could.

Neither of them said a word.

Words were unnecessary.


	3. Chapter Three: Mischief and Mayhem

Hello all! This is my next installment so I hope you all enjoy! This chapter is more fun that anything but I will continue on with the story asap! Enjoy and please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic's characters. (duh)

Chapter Three

Mischief and Mayhem

The pair soon found themselves standing silently in front of Kaname's apartment. The rain fell steadily, the sound of it tapping on the ground and along the buildings created a steady rhythm for all to hear. The cold dampness of the rain clung to their bodies and hair making them seem to themselves quite pathetic to look at.

Sousuke found this silence unbearable. He felt so worthless. He was supposed to protect Kaname and instead he endangered her all because he had become emotional. He desperately wanted to forget the event that had just occurred, to remove the ache that sat on his heart and yet wanted to stay closer to Kaname than he had ever been even though his brain screamed at him that he would now most likely endanger her than protect her.

"Are you well now, Chidori?" Sousuke asked in a softer tone but still with the military indifference that it sometimes held. Kaname stared at him yet not at him directly. It was as if she were seeing things in front of her that were invisible to everyone else. She did not answer him. "Well, if that is all, I will see you tomorrow, Chidori." Sousuke said as he started to turn to leave. "I will keep watch around the building to make sure that we were not followed. Good night." He started walking, determined to leave. He knew that it was wrong to leave her at the state she was in, but he had to go, he had to get away. He hated himself. He did not deserve to be near her, to look at her. Because he had acted like a damned idiot he had almost killed the woman he so desperately loved.

He suddenly heard rapid footsteps coming in his direction from behind him. He started to turn but was stopped when two delicate yet strong arms wrapped themselves around his torso, holding him tightly around his chest.

"Sousuke…" The word was a cry, a plea and a whisper all in one. He felt Kaname rest her head against his back and her hold on him tighten as if she was trying to be wrapped up inside him, clinging to him as if he were her last and only hope.

"K-Kaname?" Sousuke couldn't help but let his surprise show in his voice and his body as it went rigid in response to her touch.

"Stay with me…please…don't leave me…" She whispered the fear obvious in her voice. It was unknown to Sousuke that the fear was not for her own safety but of the answer Sousuke would give her.

"Stay…with you?" He asked with disbelief in his words. A short silence passed. "I can't." He said suddenly as he attempting to turn away from her. Her grip on him tightened.

"Please!" She pleaded her voice wavering, desperation evident in her actions.

"Why? I almost killed you today. Do you really think I would be any help to you? I let my guard down so easily and you almost paid for it with you life, what good am I as your protector if you can't even walk down a street in safety?" He spoke with a bitterness in his voice, the self loathing flowing through every word.

"I don't want you for protection, Sousuke." She replied softly. "I want you to stay here with me. I want you to stay because I…" She paused. "…because you're my friend. Please don't blame yourself for today, it wasn't your fault. You always are there for me and that matters above everything else. You make me feel safe just being near you. I just need you to stay with me…please…Sousuke…I don't want to be alone tonight." She ended with her voice in the barest of whispered. Sousuke couldn't believe what he was hearing. Emotions flowed through him at her words, the ache in his heart growing as her fear and desperation came across to him. But overall it was the knowledge that she didn't blame him for the incident. That she still trusted and believed in him to keep her safe and comfort her…so much that she requested him to stay with her. When it would have been just as easy for Kiyoko to come over she wanted him with her over anyone else.

He slowly turned towards her, her arms falling away from him to her sides. He realized that his body immediately missed the feeling of her holding him. His gaze met hers and he saw ten thousand unsaid words and emotions in her eyes. It was almost overwhelming to him.

"I failed you…and you still trust me?" He asked softly, afraid of the answer. Kaname allowed the hint of a smile to cross her face.

"You could never fail me. I'll always believe in you, Sousuke, always." Her words cause a tremor to run throughout his body, his eyes widening slightly. Pressure weighed down on his chest as her words were realized to him, an ecstasy flowing through him. He watched her carefully, unable to restrain a slight smile from forming on his face.

"If you ask it of me, then I will oblige." He watched a smile form on Kaname's face as she giggled half-heartedly. She then took the step to close the distance between them and embrace him.

"Thank you, Sousuke." Sousuke silently returned her embrace, holding her to him. He found himself speaking before he could stop the words from coming.

"I would do anything for you, Kaname." He felt a tremor go through her as he held her in his arms. He realized that he had stopped breathing, his body shocked by the words that his heart had spoken, his heart fearing what her response would be. He pulled away suddenly, unable to wait for her to break the silence that hung in the air between them. "W-We should get you inside. You'll become ill if we don't get you out of these clothes and into a hot bath." She looked up at him and only nodded in response as she entered her apartment.

Sousuke let a heavy sigh of relief escape him. What was going on with him? He was saying and doing things that he never would have allowed himself to do. He was letting his emotions get the best of him. He had never had this little control over himself, so why was now so different? He shook his head and started to enter Kaname's apartment when he stopped suddenly, frozen in place as realization flooded over him.

The truth was he had never had such a strong emotional connection with anyone else in his life before he met Kaname. He understood he loved her, but he had never realized that this was it. He knew that when you found your soul mate, the person that was the other piece of your soul and complemented every part of your existence, that you would never feel for another person the same way. He had never realized that for him Kaname was the only woman he could ever feel this way for; she was the only woman he could ever love. She was more than just a soul mate for him, she was his everything. No one else could ever replace her in his heart. If she left him, if she were to never be near him again…he didn't know if he could survive the removal of her from his system. She was in his blood, in his mind, in his heart and soul.

Sousuke found himself trembling in shock at his discovery, his body contracting as he wrapped his arms around himself. All the worries that he had ever had about her increased tenfold and then some. When you find something so precious that you can't live without it you would do anything to protect it, and that cherished thing was the woman who was now standing right before his eyes. She looked at him with intense worry. Sousuke realized that he must look a ghastly sight. He had completely lost his cool that he always had even in the most intense situations. It was the though of loosing her that made him break down. It was a terrifying weakness to comprehend.

"Sousuke! Are you alright?" Kaname asked with concern in her voice and in her expression. She reached out and grabbed his shoulders, trying to steady him. "You're trembling…" she stated in surprise through a whisper. "What's wrong Sousuke? She asked a tremor of panic starting to edge into her voice. She had never seen him like this. This wasn't her Sousuke.

_Her_Sousuke? Since when had he become_ Her _Sousuke?

She shook away the nagging thought and concentrated all of her attention to the man that stood before her. She looked at him intently, her eyes finding his and found herself shocked by what she saw there. Pain, worry, intense fear and desperation all shone in Sousuke's eyes. They left in an instant and their absence caused Kaname to start. Sousuke had composed himself, he was no longer shaking and his eyes and face held a neutral expression that was somewhat unwelcoming.

"Sousuke…what happened? What's wrong?" She asked in her confusion.

"There is nothing to worry about, Chidori. Everything is satisfactory." He said in an emotionless tone as he crossed through the doorway and into her living room, passing by her without another word. Kaname felt herself frown. He was doing it again. Putting up his shields and pretending that nothing was wrong. He was hiding from her, and she was sick of it. She shut the door a little harder than she had meant to causing Sousuke to stop and turn around, looking at her with an expression of slight surprise.

"Chidoiri-"

"Don't start that again! I told you Sousuke, call me Kaname. KA-NA-ME. No more Chidori, Miss Chidori, Miss Kaname, just Kaname!" Sousuke stared at her in surprise.

"Kaname…what…?"

"I know something's wrong Sousuke! I'm not stupid! I've known you for almost a year and you're my bodyguard don't you think I know you a little bit better than most? I can tell when something is wrong! You were shaking Sousuke…and you were terrified you go into dangerous battles and face death almost everyday and you're not afraid. So for you to hold that terrified look in your eyes it has to be something!" She spoke with anger but more with concern. Sousuke looked at her, his expression as blank as he could make it. He wanted to run to her, to hold her in his arms, to breathe in her sweet scent, to taste the sweetness that he imagined with some certainty that her lips held. He wanted to take her away from the world of pain and fear and death. He wanted her to be free of all the trails that the war had brought. He wanted her not to be a whispered so she could live a normal life and not have to worry about terrorists knocking at her door. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, that he needed her, that she was everything to him and without her he was certain his life would have no meaning. He wanted…

But he couldn't. He couldn't tell her that. Not here. Not now.

"It was just a minor injury, Kaname. I believe it was when one of the terrorists grabbed me and kicked me he may have bruised my ribs, that's all." He said carefully. She looked him over, the worry still in her eyes.

"But Sousuke…I saw…you were scared."

"You almost died today, Kaname, weren't you a little scared?"

"I was terrified but you…"

"I was terrified too." He said cutting her off. Her eyes widened at his words. "I almost watched you be murdered in front of my eyes, of course I was scared. Kaname, if you were killed…" He stopped suddenly. He had crossed into dangerous territory and had to backtrack quickly. "I was scared." He said softly as he looked away from her gaze. A silence passed between them again. This time it wasn't heavy and it wasn't uncomfortable, it was one of meaning, of words unspoken and words unable to be spoken.

"Your clothes are soaked. You should get out of them and get warm." Sousuke said suddenly. Kaname looked at him for a moment, wordless emotion on her face before she nodded and walked towards him. She removed his school uniform jacket that she had still been wearing and handed it to him. He met her gaze as he took his jacket from her and for just a moment time stood still, a heavy emotion weighing between both of them. She broke the connection and continued on towards the bathroom, entered it and gently shut the door behind her.

Sousuke let out a long sigh of relief and regret. She was safe, everything was okay. But he missed the feeling of her in his arms, her scent, her voice, her presence in the room. He hated the way his body reacted to her and yet would kill for it.

'_Just get a hold of yourself, Sousuke. You'll endanger Kaname if you don't become focused.'_ He told himself forcefully. A sudden beeping noise interrupted his thoughts causing him to dig into his pockets for the tiny communicator.

"Sagara here."

"Sousuke my man, you sure do make one heck of a mess." Kurtz said in his usual teasing voice, thought it held a tremor of something more bitter.

"My regrets, but Kaname's safety was more important than cleanliness." Sousuke said with a small smile. Kurtz's laugh came over the communicator causing the remains of the tension that laid in Sousuke to disappear. "Did you identify the attackers?"

"Yeah. As you suspected they were footmen of Silent Death. The guy you shot was up in the rankings, something of a lieutenant I suppose. They're not going to like loosing one of their leaders. They're most likely to try again, and soon. It's obvious that you're being watched so I would suggest for you stay very close to Kaname until this is finished."

"I concur. I'm staying at Kaname's apartment to keep watch in case a covert mission to attack at night commences."

"Sousuke! You dog! Finally going in straight for the kill, eh?" Kurtz's voice taunted him. He felt it face flush as an embarrassed feeling fill him up.

"I-I do not understand what you are referring to. I'm just taking watch at Kaname's for the night, for her safety." Sousuke said in an unconvincing voice as he felt a tremor run through his voice that he knew could be clearly read. He hated he was so readable about this!

"Whatever you say, Sousuke, whatever you say." He said in a mockingly knowing voice. "I'll check back in tomorrow morning…that is if I won't be interrupting anything…" He continued in a mischievous voice.

"_KURTZ!_" Sousuke exclaimed in panic, looking at the bathroom door to see if Kaname had come out or if it were possible for her to hear what had been spoken. Kurtz laughed in response to Sousuke's outburst.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow man. Over and out." Kurtz ended. Sousuke stared at the communicator in his hand, breathing hard as his body reacted to the thought Kurtz had placed in his mind. He trembled as he pushed it away from his thoughts. Kaname's safety was the most important…besides she would never think of him that way…

"Who was that, Sousuke?" Kaname's voice called to him from behind. He turned to see her standing in the door way of the bathroom clothed only in a robe with a towel in her hands as she dried her damp cerulean locks. She was breathtaking to him, standing there in front of him and he soon was very aware of her lack of clothing. "Sousuke…are you alright?" Kaname asked as she moved towards him. He had to force himself not to move away from her as she reached out to touch him, knowing well the consequences of her body on his. "You're flushed…did something happen? I heard yelling." She said as she placed a hand on his cheek. He felt a tremor run through his body at her touch. He looked down at her and soon realized that he was somewhat taller than her…and that her robe was open slightly unbeknownst to her.

'_Oh, Shit.'_

Sousuke moved away from Kaname quickly as he moved to retrieve the communicator that had fallen to the ground.

"It was only Kurtz. Everything is sufficient. No need to worry Kaname." She looked at him unconvinced.

"And the yelling?" She asked unsure.

"Bad connection. Do you mind if I use your shower?" He asked quickly, almost making the phrase one quick statement. Kaname raised an eyebrow at him.

"Sure. But I don't think there's any hot water left."

'_Colder is better.'_

"It will be sufficient. Thank you." He said quickly before turning and hastily moving towards the bathroom and shutting the door behind him quickly. He breathed heavily for a moment thinking he had found a sanctuary when there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Sousuke?"

"Yes, Kaname?"

"I have some clothes you can use. They're what my father left from the last time he visited." Sousuke breathed deeply, trying to steady himself before he turned and opened the door. Kaname stood there holding a folded pile of clothes out to him. She was still breathtaking. He took the clothes with a slight bow.

"Thank you." She looked at him with an unreadable emotion in her eyes.

"You're welcome." She said, meeting his eyes and not moving. An eternity passed between them in those moments before Kaname realized that she was staring into Sousuke's eyes and not saying anything. Her face flushed quickly and she suddenly turned and moved toward the kitchen.

"I'll make us some hot tea." She said quickly as she exited the room just as rapidly. Sousuke found a small smile on his face before he turned and entered the bathroom. He stripped down and got into the shower. He soon found that it was indeed very cold water, but it was just what he needed. He rested his forehead on his hand against the wall allowing the water to rush directly onto his body.

'_Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!'_

It was going to be a very long shower.

Hee hee hee…


	4. Chapter Four: To Be Near You

Okay, here it is, the next chapter. This one gets back onto the plot. I may not be able to update for awhile since school is getting very hectic (but reviews are always a good initiative (hint, hint, wink, wink)) but I will try my hardest. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own FMP….or its characters…I just borrow and manipulate them to my desires.

Chapter Four

To Be Near You….

Sousuke exited the bathroom shaking from his shower and clutching his robe around him tightly. He looked around the room and found that Kaname was no where in sight.

"K-K-Kaname?" Sousuke asked through his chattering teeth.

"In here, Sousuke." Her voice answered from the kitchen. He made his way into the kitchen to find Kaname sitting at the table, drinking from a steaming cup of tea. Another cup sat beside her obviously meant for him. He sat at the table next to her, still trembling as he reached for the warm cup in front of him. He took a sip and it warmed him to his center, his shaking brought down to a minimum.

"It is very good. Thank you." He said with a shiver.

"I told you the hot water was gone." She said, eyeing him.

"I understood you." He replied flatly. A silence passed between them as they sat drinking their tea and listening to the rain pound on the roof and the windows. Sousuke glanced over at Kaname as he took another sip of his tea. She was looking out the window at the rain was pouring down outside. The look in her eyes told him that she was not looking at the rain. The look was one that seemed to be able to see everything, her eyes were heavy with thought and it made her wise beyond her years. Something was bothering her, something she had failed to mention to him, something she did not want to tell him. He placed his cup down onto the table, leaning over towards her slightly.

"What is troubling you?" he asked softly. He watched as her graze flicked over to him showing surprise in her eyes. She hadn't expected for him to be able to read her so well, then again he was somewhat of an open book to her too.

"It's nothing." She replied, shaking her head and allowing her damp locks to lift and resettle on her shoulders. He noticed that her hair curled slightly when damp. The memory of her in his arms that day, his jacket on her shoulders, her arms around him, telling him she believed in him, it curled that day too. He returned from his thoughts when a few moments had passed between them.

"I can see it in your eyes, something troubles you." He continued, his eyes never leaving her. There was a silence that hung in the air. She was struggling with what to say to him, she was apprehensive…almost unwilling.

"I…" She stopped, her voice wavering. She turned away from him to look back out the window at an object that most certainly was not there. _"I'm scared."_ She said quieter than a whisper. Sousuke felt himself flinch at her words, her admittance shocking him. She sounded so earnest, so terrified. The tone of her words made his soul ache.

"…Scared..?" Sousuke asked even though he was almost sure of what her fear was.

"I'm scared…that we'll be attacked…and…" she paused swallowing hard as if to keep down her emotion that was thick in her voice. "…and that you'll be killed because of me." Sousuke felt a tremor of surprise run through his body at her words, the amount of her concern for his well being somewhat of a shock. She turned, her trembling gaze meeting his. "I'm afraid that you'll die, Sousuke... that you'll die because of me." She whispered emotion thick in her voice.

"K-Kaname…It's my duty to protect you…"

"I don't give a damn if it's your duty or not!" She cried, hitting her hand down on the table with effort. She saw the look of surprise in his eyes and quickly retracted her hand back onto her lap and moved her gaze away from him. Sousuke breathed deeply, taking everything in, his eyes never leaving her. After a few moments he spoke.

"I want to protect you." He saw her visibly stiffen, her eyes flicking over to him holding emotion in them. "Yes, it's my duty…but I want to protect you. Your safety is of the highest importance."

"To Mithril." She spat bitterly.

"To me." She looked at him with inexplicable emotions. "Your safety is of the highest importance to me." He watched her carefully, seeing her tremble and turn away from him, still being the strong, stubborn Kaname that he loved, not willing to allow herself to seem any weaker than she already was. After a while he stood, drawing her gaze back to him, now more composed than before.

"Come, the hour is late and we both need rest for tomorrow." He said holding out his hand to her. She glanced at his hand in front of her, a moment of thought passing through her eyes before she took it to stand. He released her grip as he walked towards the living room, she followed close behind. He felt her stop as he moved towards the couch in the center of the room.

"The couch will be suitable. I will rest here and keep watch for tonight." He spoke with his back to her. "You should get some sleep."

"…Sousuke…" She spoke softly, apprehension great in her voice. "…could you…would you…" she struggled with her words. He heard her take a deep breath. "…would you…lie next to me for awhile?" He voice held a slight tremor. He felt his body tense and his eyes widen at her request. He turned to her slowly, meeting her fearful eyes with his. When he said nothing she took a step towards him.

"Please…" She pleaded. "…I just…need to feel safe…I just need…please Sousuke." The tone in her pleading voice broke his heart.

"Kaname…" He said softly as he moved towards her, her eyes never leaving him. "I would do anything you will of me…but…are you certain…"

"I need to feel safe, Sousuke." She said suddenly, cutting him off. "…You make me feel safe." He held her gaze with his, trying to read the emotions there and soon finding it impossible to do so. He swallowed hard, millions of thoughts and emotions running through him as well. This was all so out of character for Kaname to be as open as she was in that moment. She was always subtle with her thoughts and desires-had the attack shake her up that much?

"As you wish." He said suddenly, breaking the silence between them. He saw a shadow of a smile flicker across her face before she turned and went towards her bedroom. When she realized that he was not following behind her she turned back and called to him with her eyes. Sousuke swallowed hard once more before following her.

He walked into the room closing the door behind him. He turned and watched as Kaname removed her robe to reveal a modest tank top and pajama pants underneath. She must have put them on when he was in the shower. She lifted the covers and slid underneath them.

"You can lie on top of the covers, Sousuke." She said, knowing the reason for his apprehension. He said nothing as he moved to the other side of the bed. He removed his robe to reveal only a pair of drawstring pants. Kaname's father obviously lacked shirts. He placed the robe on a chair next to the bed and turned to see Kaname's eyes on him. He saw something flash in her eyes before she quickly turned away from him. Sousuke stood there in the silence for a moment, millions of things running through him as he tried to sort everything in his mind out. Finally he lay down upon the bed resting a good half a foot from Kaname's body. A few moments passed and he realized he was holding his breath. He let it out slowly and tried to relax, closing his eyes and trying to breathe normally.

He opened them suddenly when he felt Kaname's body, though covered by he sheets, now touching his. She fit to the curve of his body perfectly. The sudden thought caused his face to flush suddenly. He fought to control himself and in the end won over his body. Once his battle with his inner self had been completed he realized that Kaname had fallen asleep. He listened to the steady rhythm of her breathing and found it comforting and almost melodic to his ears. He gently rested his arm upon her waist line, finding it a comfortable position. A smile fell upon his lips and within moments he was asleep.

"…suke...Sousuke…" Sousuke slowly awoke hearing a familiar voice calling to him. Who could it be?

"…Sousuke…" He opened his eyes slowly and the world around him came into view. He quickly realized that he was not in his bed at home but in Kaname's bedroom…in her bed. His eyes widened as he recalled the events of the night before; they were attacked, Kaname was scared, she asked him to stay with her…to lie next to her. Sousuke felt himself flush as he glanced over to the sleeping angel next to him. Her eyes closed in peaceful sleep, her mouth turned upward in a gentle smile, the soft sound of her breathing, the warmth of her body. Sousuke felt a smile creep onto his features. Kaname was safe and sound asleep next to him. But…if Kaname was asleep…who was calling to him?

"Geez, Sousuke, are you and Kaname gettin' it on or what!" Kurtz's voice exclaimed loudly through the receiver that was resting next to the bed. Sousuke leapt into the air and grabbed the receiver, pressing it to his chest to muffle the sound as he landed upon the ground and rolled into a kneeling position. He stared at Kaname's form as she stirred and sat up rubbing her eyes, sleep still upon her actions.

"…Sousuke…what was that?" She asked with her voice strained with sleep.

"Kaname…what did you hear?" he asked with some desperation.

"Only you making a racket…what's going on?" She asked with some concern.

"Nothing…everything is satisfactory…I-I'll be right back." He said as he ran from the room to the hall outside without another word.

"Kurtz!" He yelled into the receiver and receiving laughter in return. "That was completely uncalled for!"

"Sorry, but I had to interrupt you two." He replied with laughter still in his voice.

"There was nothing going on, Kurtz." Sousuke said vehemently.

"It sounded to me like you and Kaname were in the same room together and that you had both woken up by the sound of your voices. Seemed to me like _something_ was goin' on." He spoke with a smile evident in his voice.

"She was frightened, Kurtz. She asked me to lie next to her while she slept, that's all."

"Whatever you say, Sousuke, whatever you say. I was just checking in to make sure everything was okay. Sorry to interrupt the party."

"Kurtz…" Sousuke replied with a growl in his voice and received Kurtz's laughter in return.

"I'll hear from you later, Sousuke. Over and out." The sound of the transmission ending was heard. Sousuke sighed, leaning back against the brick wall of the apartment building as he looked up to the clear blue of the morning sky. Everything was so crazy in his life lately with the terrorists and protecting Kaname that he rarely got the chance to just sit back and enjoy his surroundings. But as chaotic as it made his life he would never give back the time he had with Kaname. He would treasure every minute for the rest of his life.

"Sousuke! What are you doing out there?" Kaname's voice was heard from the doorway a couple of feet away from where he was standing. He turned to see her standing in her uniform still buttoning up the top buttons of her shirt, her hair still all astray around her. She looked at him questioningly. "What was that all about?"

"Kurtz was just checking to make sure everything was satisfactory. I told him it was. That's all." Sousuke said with a soft smile as he walked towards her, stopping in front of her as he did. She looked at him for a moment before going back into her apartment to finish getting ready.

"Well, you better get ready. We need to leave for school in fifteen minutes if we don't want to get detention for being late again." Her voice spoke from inside the apartment. Sousuke smiled, enjoying the simple pleasure of being with her and being able to see a side of her that many never got the chance to experience. He then entered the apartment and continued to get ready for the day ahead.

"We never did get that assignment done for class today, did we?" Kaname asked Sousuke as they walked side by side down the normal path they took to school.

"I believe that we have a viable excuse…don't you?" Kaname gave him a look that said 'are you kidding me?'

"Sousuke, you can't honestly think that Kugurazawa Sensei is actually going to believe that we were attacked by Russian terrorists who want to suck out information from my brain and held at gun point?" He looked at her with some confusion.

"Is it really all that unbelievable?" he asked in all sincerity. Kaname sighed, hanging her head low. Soon she was laughing with head thrown back and a look of joy on her face.

"Oh Sousuke…"She exclaimed with a smile, looking at him with her eyes full of laughter and happiness. He suddenly felt himself breathless at the sight. The sound of her voice and the beauty that shone through her caused his breath to catch in his throat. God he loved her.

He then heard a sudden sound behind him that caused him to be able to breathe again and allow him to think like a military man. He grabbed Kaname and pushed her into a side ally, backing up so that he blocked her from the five men that now stood before them.

"Sagara…Miss Chidori…we've been waiting for you." One of them men spoke with a heavy Russian accent, a sinister look playing upon his face. Sousuke stared at them, the threatening guarded look shining I his eyes.

"What can I do for you?" Sousuke asked as he kept all his senses alert, trying to figure out away to get Kaname away from everything safely.

"We just want you to hand over the girl into our care and then both of you can come with us. "

"Both of us?" Sousuke asked slightly surprised. The man smiled.

"Oh yes. Nadej is very eager to speak with you personally."

"Nadej?" Sousuke made it a question.

"Oh, you'll meet him soon enough. Now, if you could just hand over the girl then we can be on our way." The man continued his smile widening on his features.

"Forgive me, but I find that that is impossible." The man flinched, looking at him in surprise. Obviously none of these guys had ever heard of 'no'. The man leaned towards him, rage flickering in his eyes.

"Move out of the way…NOW!"

"Kaname, RUN!" Sousuke yelled as he suddenly punched the man in front of him, knocking him onto his back on the pavement. Kaname didn't ask a word but only obeyed Sousuke as soon as he had directed her. She turned down the ally and ran as fast as she could, never once looking back but all awhile fearing for his safety.

The man on the ground noticed her flight and ordered two of the men in Russian to go after her. They took off down the sidewalk planning to intercept Kaname down another street.

"NO!" Sousuke yelled as the remaining two men rushed him. He ducked, sweeping one out from under his feet causing him to land hard upon the ground. Sousuke quickly turned and punched the other man in his sternum causing him to bend forward in response to the pain and allowing Sousuke to punch upward into his jaw. Sousuke felt it break underneath his fist.

The man who had been swept to the ground started to stand and Sousuke quickly elbowed him in his nose causing it to break and blood stream from it rapidly. Sousuke quickly turned and saw the leader rushing towards him gun in hand. He kicked the man's knee as hard as he could and heard something crack and the man's shriek of pain. He knocked the gun out of the man's hand as he fell to the pavement cradling his knee to his chest and crying out in pain.

Sousuke quickly turned and ran down the ally that he had directed Kaname to go down moments before. He prayed that she was safe.

"Kaname!" Sousuke yelled as he ran towards her down the ally. She was standing against the wall of a building trapped by the two men who had cut off her escape route. She turned and saw him coming towards her and she cried out to him.

"Sousuke!" the two men found him more of a threat than her and came towards him starting to reach for their guns. Sousuke rushed forwards bending down and slamming both of his arms into either of them causing them to flip over and land on their backs the wind knocked out of them. Sousuke ran towards Kaname holding out his hand to her.

"Kaname!" Was all he had time to say as she grabbed his hand and both of them continued running. Sousuke looked back and saw the two men stand and start to run down another side ally. They were going to try to cut them off again. Sousuke ran faster pushing himself and Kaname to stay ahead of the men. There were sounds of gunfire and Sousuke and Kaname ducked as bullets started to fly towards them. Sousuke glanced over to where the gunfire was coming from and saw that all that separated Kaname and he from the two men was a hallway that was used to connect two buildings together that was made mostly of glass. Sousuke worked to cover Kaname with his body as they continued running forward. He saw up ahead of them was a fence that dropped down onto another ally running perpendicular to the one they were running down presently. If he could get Kaname over it and out of the way she would surely be safe.

"Kaname…climb that fence and run away as fast as you can…" He directed.

"But…" she started to protest.

"Don't argue!" He saw that they were almost there. "GO!" He yelled as he pushed her towards the fence and she started to climb as he turned around to face the men. They hadn't expected him to be so quick and before they could take any action they were on the ground unconscious bleeding from multiple wounds.

Sousuke turned around and saw that Kaname was more than halfway up the tall fence. He thanked God the girl was athletic. He started towards the fence preparing to climb it after her.

The sudden sound of a gun firing was recognized by his senses before the blinding pain in his shoulder was felt. He hadn't realized that he had cried out in pain, clutching his shoulder, until he was kneeling on the ground.

"SOUSUKE!" Kaname yelled fearfully as she started to climb back down. Sousuke looked up at her through one eye, the other clenched tightly against the pain.

"…No…Kaname…keep climbing…don't…" He was unable to finish his sentence for he felt a blinding pain behind his ear. He heard Kaname screaming his name in fear just before unconsciousness overtook him. His last conscious thought was of her safety and then….darkness.

"**_SOUSUKE!_**" Kaname's scream echoed around the area as she watched him crumple to the ground unmoving. She stared fearfully at the man who stood behind Sousuke's body as he peered up at her through pain-filled eyes. She had watched, unable to yell out to warn Sousuke as the man had hit him over the head with the butt of his gun, if only she had been able to get out the words to warn him, Sousuke would be okay.

She looked behind the man to see two bloodied men walk up beside him and peer up at her as well. She watched as a most evil smile appeared on the leader's features.

"Get her, boys." He said with a smile. Kaname gasped and fought to continue to climb as she felt the men attack the fence and climb at an almost inhuman speed up the fence. She was almost to the top when she felt a strong grip on her ankle. She screamed and fought to shake him off of her but found another set of arms around her waist, pulling her down the fence.

She yelled, cried for help and fought with everything she had which resulted in the three of them falling into heap at the bottom of the fence. Luckily the two men had broken her fall and she started to run but was grabbed by her hair by the leader. She cried out in pain as he pulled her to him and pointed a gun under her chin. He chuckled as leaned close to her, speaking softly in her ear in the most vicious tone.

"Hello there Kaname…let's have a little fun…" She cried out in response, tears welling up in her eyes as her gaze flicked frantically from him to Sousuke lying lifeless on the ground to the two men walking towards her, their eyes holding the most evil intentions.

"**_SOUSUKE!"_** She called helplessly to him one last time before she felt the blinding pain and darkness overtook her.


	5. Chapter Five: Nightmare: His

Hello all! I know that it has been forever since an update but I had some writer block and now I'm back on course so yay! Please please review and I'll post the next chapter up ASAP!

Serenita

Disclaimer: I don't own Full Metal Panic! Okay?

Chapter Five

Nightmare: His

Sousuke slowly awoke to consciousness, his vision blurry and the world seeming very far away. The sudden blinding pain in his shoulder told him that he wasn't dead. The sounds that entered his ears were muffled and somewhat broken. He was unable to make out any words that were being spoken by the figures in the dimly lit room. He supposed that they were male, considering the tone of the sounds and the broad shapes that their figures made. He blinked trying to clear his vision and moved to rub at his eyes and found them to be bound behind him to the chair that he was sitting in. Everything quickly came into focus as panic shot through his body.

He looked around the room and met the smirking faces of the men that were guarding him. He quickly noticed that they were all without weapons. The room was dark and only the light from a dimly burning bulb illuminated the room. He pulled on the binds of his hands and found them to be expertly knotted and he himself tightly secured in the seat which was his prison. He heard a chuckle from behind him and tensed, quickly turning his head as far as he could to permit the source of the sound to enter his vision.

A tall, broad shouldered man stood next to him, holding a machine gun loosely in his arms at his side.

"Well, you're finally awake. Did you enjoy your leisurely nap?"

"Where am I? Where's Kaname?" Sousuke demanded his voice rough with a growing rage fueled by the fear for Kaname's safety.

"I don't believe that you are in any position to demand anything from us, Sergeant Sagara." He said with a mocking smile on his face. Sousuke felt his face harden and gaze narrow in anger. It was much easier to be angry than afraid.

"Why have you brought us here? What is it that you want?" Sousuke asked through tightly clenched teeth.

"Not that there's any real need to let you know seeing as there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. But I know I will find joy in watching your reaction to the answer to your question." The man grinned with a most horrid smile that chilled Sousuke to his core. What could possibly bring such an evil man such joy?

"Where is Kaname?" Sousuke asked again, desperation slowly taking a hold of his restrain.

"You'll see her soon enough. Right now they're retrieving all the information from that brain of hers. Once all available information is taken, then she will be killed." Sousuke's eye's narrowed, his body tensing at the thought of Kaname being harmed in any way. The man noticed this and continued. "It is after this that you will be needed. You will tell us all of Mithril's information either through your own willingness or torture. That will be up to you. And then, depending on your cooperation or not we will decide whether or not to use you with this group permanently or kill you like a dog."

"I will do nothing of the sort! Let Kaname go or I'll…" Sousuke started but was cut off abruptly by the loud, sharp sound of a gun being fired followed by a high pitch scream sounding painfully familiar. The scream was unmistakably Kaname's. He felt a piece of him break at its sound.

"Kaname…_KANAME_!" Sousuke shouted, pulling on his restraints as hard as he could despite the pain that screamed from his shoulder.He felt the rope bend and loosen at his effort. He stopped suddenly feeling the cold metal of a pistol against his forehead. He looked up and saw the twisted smile on the man's face.

"I suggest you stop struggling right now, or there will be no hope for you."

"What have you done with her?" Sousuke demanded through clenched teeth.

"You will see soon enough." He replied with a smile.

"If anything happens to her I'll…"

"What exactly will you do?" He asked mockingly. "Truly, answer me this because I find it quite humorous that you still believe that you have and power to make me do anything." He bent forward so that he was at eye level with Sousuke. "You're barely a man. How old are you, 15? 16?" Sousuke's gaze hardened.

"My age is none of your concern. Now, **_Let Kaname Go!_**" Sousuke yelled as he leaned forward and shouted into the man's face causing him to snap up quickly and take a step back in surprise. Sousuke watched as a look of rage crossed the man's face and he took a step forward, his intentions to beat Sousuke quite clear.

"Oduvan..." A voice said from behind the man in front of Sousuke suddenly, stopping his movement towards him. The man, now presented as Oduvan turned to reveal to Sousuke another man standing in the doorway, his face and upper torso covered in crimson blood. He continued when he received the attention he desired. "It is done…the girl has been dealt with." Sousuke then noticed that he held in his arms Kaname's bloodied and torn uniform. Fear struck Sousuke as a cold, horrible feeling that spread through out his entire being and he found himself unable to move. What had they done to her? Oduvan smiled.

"Good."

"Sir, what should be done with the body?" The bloody man asked from the doorway. Sousuke felt his heart stop at his words. The world around him fell away and he was lost in his own consciousness, his mind attempting to protect him from horrible realization…from this horrible nightmare come true. A million thoughts ran through him all at once. He already knew.

_Kaname... _

_Body... _

_Harmed... _

_**Dead**..._

_**Kaname**... _

_Dead..._

_Kaname... _

_**Dead**…_

"**_KANAME!_**"

Sousuke was already screaming at the top of his lungs driven only through his pure rage and despair before he realized that he had broken the binds that had held him to the chair. He caught the surprised look in Oduvan's eyes before he punched him hard to distract him while grabbing the gun from his arms expertly and shot him repeatedly in the torso. He watched the life slip out of Oduvan's still form and slump lifelessly to the ground. Sousuke quickly rushed the remaining men in the room, all unarmed and unprepared for his attack. He first fired rapidly at the man who stood in the door way covered in blood…

…_in Kaname's blood…_

When Sousuke was sure he was dead he shot at the remaining men in the room and killed them quickly and expertly.

It was a few moments before Sousuke regained his bearings. He was breathing heavily, his eyes wild and his face scarlet, partially because he was flushed and partially because he was covered with the blood splatter from the dead men lying in the room around him. As his rage slowly died within him his mind allowed him to remember why he had acted so. Kaname. Kaname was dead.

Sousuke found himself shaking uncontrollably. He had failed. He had sworn to protect her. Not only to Mithril, but he swore to her that he would protect her; he had promised himself that he would not let her die.

He pounded his fist hard upon the ground and felt something with in him shatter. He felt empty, his emotions spent. He felt numb, feeling no pain from anywhere on his beaten and bruised body. He realized that there was nothing left for him. No reason left to live. He knew that he wouldn't care if anyone else he knew died, for the person that meant the most to him was gone forever.

He suddenly felt rage rise from deep within him. The need to kill all those responsible for hurting Kaname became unbearable. He saw red.

The next thing Sousuke saw was the blank eyes of the man dying in front of him. The body slumped to the ground in a bloody pile in front of him. Sousuke breathed heavy, finding himself out of breath once more. He turned back slowly not recognizing where he was and found a trail of dead men lying in the hallway behind him. He had no idea how far he had come from the little room they had shoved him in before or how many men he had killed on his path to where he stood. But he had no reservations in continuing on. He was now truly dead inside, an image of his old self, what he was before she came into his life. He realized that from the outside he must look mad. He eyes were cold, hard, and uncaring. He was sweating heavily, his hair disheveled, his face a deadly scarlet, his clothes torn and bloodied. He was a horror to look at.

A sharp sound of metal clanging against the ground came from behind him. He turned quickly pulling the gun up from his side to face whomever was coming down the hallway adjacent to the one he was on. He moved forward stealthily, ready to attack. He waited at the corner of the hallway, waiting until the exact moment to kill them. His finely tuned military skills were on full drive. He was an unbeatable killing machine.

He heard the footstep grow louder as the person moved closer to him. They were almost at the corner when Sousuke rushed out and aimed his firearm at the person in front of him. But he did something that he didn't expect. He hesitated. He looked deep into the terrorist's eyes and found not only fear and shock but something completely unexpected…

…_Happiness_…

That look in the person's eyes shocked Sousuke and allowed him to stop his mindless rush to kill and slowly take in the face that those joyful eyes were held in.

He knew this person. The shape of their jaw was soft and smooth, their lips full, their skin a perfectly milky complexion. This person was very familiar to him but it was impossible for them to be there. This person should not be standing in front of him at this moment. But why not? Why was it so improbable for them to be there?

Sousuke's mind was being far too analytical for him to place a name on the familiar face. But he returned to their eyes and suddenly he knew. Before was looking only for emotion in those eyes and now he actually looked for familiarity, for color. Those brown eyes looked back at him in wonder and bliss, as if they hadn't seen him for years. But it had only been a day since he had seen his own reflection in them.

Sousuke found himself breathless and he was frozen in place, unable to move. He struggled to speak, struggled to break the silence, struggled to say the name that would mend his shattered soul and broken heart. He found his strength, his will to carry on, and finally, his voice...

"_Kaname…_"

A.N. Don't hate me!


	6. Chapter Six: Nightmare: Hers

Hey! I got the next chapter up fairly quick but I'm going to need some time for the next one, but reviews are always encouraging. Enjoy!

Serenita

Disclaimer: I don't own Full Metal Panic.

Chapter Six

_Kaname's POV, One Hour Earlier_

Kaname slowly opened her eyes as she was pulled from the darkness of her unconsciousness. She quickly closed them as the urethral light that clung to the room hurt her head and caused her eyes to burn. She felt pain coming from many points on her body as the numbness that her body once had slipped away. She slowly opened her eyes again, unwilling because of the pain that would come from the light. When she was once again blinded by the light she winced noticing a deep, dull pain that had developed from the back of her head. Why did her head hurt?

She moved to touch her head with her hands but found herself bound to a table in an unmovable position. She opened her eyes wide in surprise as she came into full consciousness suddenly. Her head hurt because those men that had been chasing her and hit her over the head, right after Sousuke…

Sousuke! Where was Sousuke? Where was she?

She quickly looked around at her surroundings to find a dank, putrid green colored room with decaying brick and stained from the water that dripped from the ceiling periodically, it's sound echoing hauntingly around the drafty and chilling room. She shivered as the room's coldness finally reached her and looked down to see to her surprise that she was no longer clothed in her school uniform. She was wearing a light blue cloth that couldn't really be called a dress or a gown that was wrapped around her only for the function of keeping her modesty. It reminded her of the clothing that she was forced to wear that day last year when Gauron hijacked the plane, kidnapped her, and hooked her up to some machine with electrodes and tried to suck all of the information from her head.

She then realized that she was yet again covered with electrodes on her body. A suddenly panic filled her as she struggled and strained against that bonds that held her firmly to the table. She was not going through that again. She was not going to be hooked up to some machine and manipulated and tested like some kind of lab rat. She had to get out of there, wherever she was, and find Sousuke.

…Sousuke…

Was he alright? They shot him…would he be okay? She found herself without breath at the thought of Sousuke being dead and gone from her life forever. It was like an unbearable weight against her chest that had forced all the breath and all the life from her. She prayed that he was okay.

A rough, masculine hand touched her shoulder suddenly, bringing her back from wherever she was and caused her to freeze in surprise, stopping her struggles against the bonds. She turned her eyes to see an unfamiliar man beside her, looking at her in a strained way. He was darker toned with his hair matching his skin and she noticed several places upon his face were deep, worn scars made from weapons unbeknownst to her.

"Shhh…stay still…" The man whispered to her with a heavy accent that she couldn't quite identify.

"Don't touch me! Let me go!" Kaname demanded as she found her strength and her breath again and began to pull at her bonds once more.

"Shhh!" He hissed in response, fear noticeably in his eyes. "I'm a spy for Mithril. They suspected that you might be captured, I'm here to let you go." The man spoke as he quickly removed the electrodes from her body and began to work on the bonds that held her. "We have to move quickly. I'll get you out and then I'll come back for Sergeant Sagara." He quickly slid the last bond from its holster as he turned and walked to a table placed in the corner of the room. He turned back and started towards Kaname, slowing as he was about half way from her, holding her clothing against his chest. "Here are your clothes. We must hurry or…"

"**Bladon!**" A voice yelled from the doorway causing the man to turn and face the voice. Kaname looked and saw another man standing in the doorway with a high powered rifle in his hand, aimed at the man in the room with Kaname. Her eyes widened as she realized what was to happen. It was over in mere seconds.

The man with the rifle rushed forward and pulled the trigger. Kaname watched in horror as the bullet entered Bladon's chest by tearing through her uniform and ripped apart his chest. She turned away quickly, covering her head and curling up into a fetal position as she tried to avoid the sight and the gore that was flying around the space of the room next to her. She didn't even realize that she was screaming until a small pistol was shoved in her face causing her to quiet her almost instantly.

"I would be quiet if I were you." A harsh voice suggested. She looked at the man holding the gun that stood next to her and received only cold eyes. She noticed another man next to him, unarmed but with eyes just as deadly. Kaname turned her face away from the gun and found her heart in her throat. The Blandon was lying on the floor with his chest blown open. Blood had splattered around the room as well as on the face of the man who had shot him. Her bloodied and torn uniform lay beside the dead body.

"…_kaname…Kaname!_" The cry of the familiar voice even though faint pulled her from her shocked state. It was Sousuke. He sounded in such pain. What were they doing to him?

"Sousu…!" She started but was cut off when the man with the rifle turned and aimed at her.

"Shut up! If you want to live you better just shut up and cooperate with us. Don't try to call for him. Oduvan told us to take care of you…if you try to escape you will be shot on the spot. Do you understand?" The man demanded

Kaname nodded slowly in response, her fear now beginning replaced with anger and her will to get out of there alive replacing caution. The man smiled in response.

"Good." He turned his attention to one of the men behind Kaname. "Najind, take the rifle. I dispose of those bloody rags and let Oduvan know that the girl has been dealt with." Najind nodded and walked around the table the Kaname was on and received the weapon the man had given him. The man then stepped over the body and retrieved Kaname's clothes from the floor, holding them in his arms.

Kaname realized that with his blood splattered face and hold her bloody and torn clothes in his arms he looked a deathly sight. She shivered involuntarily.

The bloody man turned and exited the room leaving Kaname alone with the remaining two men, Najind and the guy with the pistol. There was silence for a few moments. Kaname searched herself for a plan to escape the room, find Sousuke and get the hell out of the hell whole she was in. But with two armed men at her back she knew that that was nearly impossible.

"It's too bad Nadej order for her to be untouched. We could have had a little fun with her, you know?" The man with the pistol suggested, pulling Kaname from her thoughts. They were speaking in Japanese, so she knew that they were toying with her.

"Now, Mikail, you're scaring the poor girl. She's probably still a virgin. Look at that skin. It would be too messy." Both men laughed heartily but stopped dead at the next sound that they heard.

"**_KANAME!_**" The sound echoed along the long corridors of the building reaching their ears in an almost deafening manner. The voice was Sousuke's and the emotion that it held, the intensity of the anguish that rang out in his voice broke Kaname's heart. The sudden rash of gunfire that followed chilled her heart and caused her to freeze in sudden fear, fear for Sousuke. Could he be dead? Could they have killed him? The thought was unbearable.

"Go see what that was." Mikail ordered, sending Najind and his rifle out of the room. More gunfire followed almost immediately and continued on for some period of time. Kaname found herself shaking but then realized her sudden advantage. There was only one man to take out and his attention was focused on the gunfire outside of the room. She glanced over at him and saw that he held the pistol loosely at his side and his body positioned at the lower end of the table. She smiled.

She rushed forward suddenly grabbing the pistol out of the man's hands with ease. He turned to her in surprise and was met with a foot impacting his face and knocking him down to the ground. Kaname flew off the table and ran the man on the floor, pointing the gun at him, prepared for him to jump up and fight. He was out cold. Sighing with relief Kaname turned and made her way out of the room and down the hallway carefully, checking around for any terrorist and prepared to shoot them if need be.

As she moved down the hallway stealthily she realized that she was acting just like Sousuke did around school, moving down the hallways carefully awaiting anyone to attack. He had taught her so much about protect herself from the evils of the world that she hadn't even realized that she was using it.

Another rash of gunfire brought her out of her thoughts and she flattened herself out against a wall, waiting for the gunman to come around the corner. The gunfire came closer and closer and then stopped suddenly. She heard the sound of someone falling to the ground and heavy breathing. They had stopped.

She waited a moment before cautiously moving down the hallway. She had the gun in her hands prepared to shoot the gunman as they came around the corner. Suddenly they did and were in front of her with a machine gun aimed at her chest. She froze in surprise and looked up to see the face of the person in front of her. She recognized him immediately when she saw his eyes. Even though he was disheveled and bloody, even though his face held a cold, hard look that matched his eyes, something that she hadn't seen on him since the day she first met him, she recognized him all the same. It was Sousuke, and she had never been so happy to see him in her life. He was safe, he was alive, he was….

…Shocked at the sight of her. Why? There was such a pain filled expression on his face.

"…Kaname…" His voice, it sounded so dead, so hopeless. What had happened to him? She started towards him, walking steadily until they were only inches apart.

"Sousuke…" Saying his name was the only thing that she could think to say, her mind was blank. He was silent, studying her intently, that wild look still in his eyes, that alike to a caged animal. Kaname took another step forwards. "Sousuke...are you alright…" She reached out to touch him but he dodged her touch. She pulled her hand back quickly like she had been stung. "Sousuke…"

"Who are you?" He asked with traces of anger in his voice. She was confused.

"Sousuke…it's me…Kaname….what happened to…" She was cut off when his gun was suddenly aimed at her. She took a few steps back in surprise. A deep ache in her soul formed at the sight of him looking at her with such contempt, he truly didn't believe her. He saw her as the enemy. His eyes narrowed and he spoke in a deadly harsh whisper.

"Kaname is dead…who the hell are you?"

Explanations abound in the next chapter….I hope…..lol


	7. Chapter Seven: To Need You

Hey everyone! The next chapter is finally here! And I'm quite sure most of you will be quite pleased with it. If you like please review! I love love love reviews! I'll try to get the next chapter out ASAP! Thanks!

Serenita

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic! Okay! Good!

Chapter Seven

Kaname stared at the deadly and furious eyes of Sousuke who stood before her as if he was looking at the face of a stranger. She hadn't seen him like this since….

…they were in China. Two months ago when he had been assigned to leave her and return to Mithril she had gone after him. When she saw him his eyes were dead, stone cold, a look harder than the one he wore when she first met him. Then he saw her, and he was the Sousuke that she knew…that she….

…Also, when they were being chased by Gauron in Korea after the plane was hijacked, when he was injured and worried for her safety he put a gun in her face then too. With those stone cold eyes….

Kaname remembered. She remembered how she got through to him the last time they were like this with her staring down the barrel of his gun.

"Why do you believe that Kaname is dead, Sousuke?" Kaname asked in a calm voice. Sousuke flinched visibly as he was obviously taken back by her question.

"I….what?" He asked with some apprehension in his voice.

"I wanted to know what happened that made you believe that Kaname is dead." Sousuke was silent for a moment, his face troubled as if he were searching for his reasons.

"I saw….the uniform…they said….they said that they had her taken care of…and the body…" Sousuke trailed off his expression was one that showed deep pain. Suddenly he was cold again. "But none of that matters anymore, she's dead. And you should be giving me reasons why I shouldn't make you the same." He said wiping at the stains on his face and neck.

"Sousuke…I _am_ Kaname…"

"YOU CAN'T BE!" He yelled his body trembling in response to his frustration. Kaname was taken aback momentarily before regaining her intent.

"Did you ever see her body?"

"What?" He asked harshly, his breathing becoming slightly labored.

"Did you ever see Kaname's body?" She asked gently as she could.

"N-No…" He replied in a tone alike to a child that is being reprimanded.

"Then how do you know that she's really dead?" She asked taking a step towards him. She watched as he searched himself for answers…reasons for which he seemed terrified to admit.

"Because…because if she's not dead…and with her uniform….and the blood…who knows what they've done to her…at what state she's in…what's left of her…she can't be alive…or she's in such pain…after such torture…that…." He trailed off suddenly losing the will to speak anymore.

She understood. Sousuke had interpreted the bloody uniform and the body as her being dead, but just the sight of her uniform would have suggested massive abuse and torture. It would be enough for anyone to hope for her to be dead.

"But I'm fine, Sousuke. I'm right here in front of you."

"…N-no…" He stuttered softly, barely over a whisper.

"I'll prove it to you." Kaname said as she walked towards him unafraid, pushing the gun that was pointed at her away with ease and wrapping her arms around Sousuke as tightly as she could, her arms under his, her head resting against his chest right under his chin, her body molded to perfectly compliment his. "_I'm not scared_…" She said softly, repeating the words she had spoken the last time they were like this. "…_because…I believe in you_…" She held him tighter, as if it were possible to do so, inhaling his scent, praying that he would see her, hear her. She then felt him trembling rigidly in her arms. She saw him lower his arm shakily and drop the gun on the floor with a loud clatter before wrapping his arms around her tightly and drowning himself in her hair and scent.

Even though he held her he continued to shake, deeply and almost racking, as if he were sobbing…but she had never seen Sousuke cry in his life. She tried to pull away but he quickly brought her back into his grasp and held her tighter, threatening to never let go. She gave in and turned into his embrace, enjoying the tender moment. He whispered 'I'm sorry' a few times in a shaky and weak way but never said anything else. They were like that for a long while.

"Kaname…turn around." Sousuke whispered harshly before turning around the corner and aiming his gun. Kaname quickly looked away as she heard two shots fire and the sound of bodies slumping to the ground. Suddenly Sousuke's hand was in hers. "Come on." He said as he pulled her along with him, heading for the exit of the building.

When Sousuke had finally come about he was back to the way she was used to him being in a crisis, demanding and to the point. He explained that he had no idea where they were and that Mithril most likely had little clue to their whereabouts as well. They would have to find a way outside and find a place to hide so that they could "regroup and reorganize". They then headed off without another word on the situation that had just taken place. Kaname felt good to have her clueless military man back.

They came upon the dead terrorists and quickly took all things of value on their person. Among the weapons they found two two-way radios.

"Lucky!" Kaname exclaimed as she handed one to Sousuke. He in return handed her another gun alike to the one she was already carrying. She looked at it oddly in her hand. It had come to this. She never would have thought that she would be here, in the middle of a terrorist camp, armed with two guns. It wasn't that she didn't know how to accurately use them, Sousuke had trained her well, but she never thought that she would be faced with the need to kill someone, terrorist or not. She never imagined that the thought of it would leave her empty and numb to all feeling.

"…name…Kaname…" She looked up suddenly, hearing Sousuke call to her and met his concerned gaze. "Are you okay?" She nodded quickly placing the two-way in a fold of her sheath and stood carrying the gun at her side. Sousuke stood and quickly moved to the door that led outside. "I'm going to quickly check the surrounding area and see if there's any place we can make a run for cover. When I say run, run as fast as you can and stay down, do you understand?" Kaname nodded, the danger of the situation at hand finally coming to her. Sousuke turned and opened the metal door slowly, his back to the door as he looked into the bright light that shown through the opening made by the door. She watched as Sousuke looked around at the outside quickly before carefully looking around the backside of the door and then slipping back inside.

"It's clear. There's a large area of trees and foliage across the way. Run." He said quickly before turning and slamming the door open. Kaname followed closely behind running as fast as her legs could take her. Being as athletic as she was didn't hurt either. She looked up ahead and saw a large grove of trees and bushes, very vast and easy to hide in. She heard gun shots fire a fair distance behind them and they both ran faster, practically leaping into the grove of trees and deeper into the darkness they created.

Kaname continued running aimlessly, not knowing where she was heading or where Sousuke was. She felt panic rise within her and sat like a heavy weight upon her chest.

"So…Sousuke…" She found herself calling out even though she knew it was unwise to do so since the terrorist could have tracked her voice. Suddenly a warm familiar hand was within hers, pulling closer to him and leading her among the trees carefully.

"I've got you. This way." He said softly in a breathless voice. Then they we running, side by side, hand in hand, two forms running in almost perfect simultaneous motion, two forms moving as one. Kaname didn't know how long they had been running or how far. There was a strange comfort in their actions and suddenly time was limitless. The sound of Sousuke's voice broke through the silence.

"Jump!" Kaname faltered at the command before following through and leaping with Sousuke over a small cliff and landing on the soft grass below the edge. They both collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath and not moving for some time.

"Kaname…are you…alright…?" Sousuke asked as he sat up and reached out to her. She sat up slowly, allowing Sousuke to help her sit up before nodding through her labored breath.

"I'm…I'm okay…" She paused for a moment, looking at the clearing that they had come to. They were mostly shaded by the tops of the surrounding trees but a tiny opening allowed some welcomed sunlight on the open space that consisted of grass, logs, and a tiny fresh water stream that ran through the grove. She turned to Sousuke and met his gaze that was focused on her. "So…" she said as she shifted her position to face him. "…what happens now?"

"I'm uncertain. This was as far as I planned." He said almost in an embarrassed way that this was all that he could do.

"Well…we're definitely not in Siberia, it's far too warm for that. Do you have any idea where we could be?" She asked.

"Probably somewhere in the Philippines." He said plainly.

"Oh." Was all she said in response. They sat there in an uneasy silence. Sousuke was racking is brain trying to find a way to get them out of there safely. Even if they got out of the base, how would they get off the island? A feeling of dread sat upon him. He couldn't let her die here…he couldn't allow it.

A sudden voice crackled on the two way radio and spoke hastily in Russian. He picked it up quickly and held it to his ear.

"What are they saying?" Kaname asked in which Sousuke quickly shushed her and listened to the conversation intently.

"…_report immediately to the southern gate…I repeat all report immediately to the southern gate_, _we are under attack."_ The transmission cut out and was quickly replaced by another.

"_Damn Mithril scum! How many are there?"_

"_Two of the latest arm slaves and at least three of the 2nd generation models."_

"_Dammit! They're tearing up our cover!"_

"_One of them just yelled a 'yee haw' are they nuts?"_

Sousuke quickly turned off the radio to save the battery. It was Kurtz and Mao. They had come to save them. That meant that the Daanan must be around the island somewhere. He had to go to them…but…

He glanced over at Kaname looking at him with eager eyes. He couldn't risk her being in the line of fire. He didn't think that he could protect her and ensure that she would get off the island safely if it was just him. He would need the Arbalest to take care of the remaining terrorist and carry her safely off the island. He would have to leave her here. He couldn't risk her being injured.

"Sousuke? What did they say?" Kaname asked eagerly.

"Kurtz and Mao are attacking the southern gate. They've come to rescue us." He watched as her face lit up with hope. "I'm going to have to find a way to get to them and then radio back to the Daanna for the Arbalest. I'll come back for you, I promise." He said as he stood, placing guns in their proper places and the two way radio in his pocket. Kaname stood suddenly as well.

"I'm coming with you." She said sternly. Sousuke turned to her and quickly gripped her by the shoulders.

"No! You have to stay here!" He said somewhat louder than he had meant to. Her eyes widened in surprise at his outburst. "I can't promise that I'll be able to protect you and get you off this island safely if you come with me. If I don't come back in four hours then try your hardest to find a safe way out of the base and try to locate the Daanan. Hopefully they'll be destracted. But, I need you to stay here and wait for me…I need you to promise that you'll wait for me." His voice was pleading as was his eyes. It was almost heartbreaking for Kaname to witness. She suddenly found her voice.

"I…I promise…" A sad smile crossed Sousuke's face. He then took off his jacket uniform and discarded it since it was covered in blood. He then proceeded to unbutton his undershirt and place it on Kaname's bare shoulders leaving him in only a white beater shirt.

"Keep the radio on channel 7, I'll radio back to you when I'm close. I'll be back for you…I promise…just stay here. Okay?" He asked in a softer tone than earlier. Kaname nodded again.

"Okay." She said softly with a hint of worry in her voice. Sousuke turned and started away towards the south end of the island. A sudden soft and pitiful sound was heard and he stopped his march and turned back to see Kaname standing where he had left her looking at him with an unreadable emotion in her eyes.

"…Sousuke…" she said with such softness, such concern. He suddenly realized that this could be the last time he would see her. This could be the last time he would ever be near to her, to see her looking at him with her beautiful eyes, it could be the last time he could…

He was moving towards he at a steady pace. He was unsure at what exactly he was doing but he couldn't leave her like this…he didn't want her last sight of him to be him walking away. Suddenly he was in front of her and she was looking back at him with a confused look on her face.

He embraced her, wrapping one arm around her waist bring her closer to him and with the other placing a hand on her cheek so that he guided her lips to his. He didn't know what he was doing, he was following the desires of his heart and the drive from the primal forces that lies within every person. He kissed her. He kissed her with such desire, tasting her like a famished man, drinking in her scent and her taste, wanting to know her by more senses than just sight and sound.

She was still for a moment, frozen against his form, shocked at his actions. He was about to pull away when she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back, just as fiercely and desperately as he tasted her. The world fell away and only they were left, molded to each other, acting more intimately than they other ever had with another person.

It was uncertain to as the amount of time they stayed like that but the time came when both were out of breath and they pulled away for each other, searching each others eyes for unspoken words and unshared emotions. He rested his forehead against hers, never taking his eyes from hers that burned brightly back. They stood there catching they breath and said nothing.

A few moments later Sousuke pulled away knowing that he had to leave, or there would be no chance at leaving at all. He placed a gentle and chaste kiss upon her lips.

"I love you." He spoke softly in a tone of voice shared only with her alone before he turn and started to run, not waiting for a response. If her response was anything but "I love you too" he didn't want to hear it. His drive placed on finding Kurtz and Mao, but the sense of her lips against his a burned memory in his mind that remained with him for some time.

Kaname placed her fingertips against her lips where the pressure from Sousuke's lips still left sensation.

"…Sousuke…" She said softly her words not necessarily meant for him to hear.

She stood in the clearing breathless, speechless and shocked. She did not move for some time.


	8. Chapter Eight: To Live and Die for You

Okay, so I know it's been like FOREVER since I have posted this chapter and to be quite honest I had a horrible, horrible case of writer's block. Plus my finals for school were coming up and I had a huge term paper to write. Then on top of it all I went on a 17 day trip to Japan.

Needless to say I got around to writing this chapter (made longer in compensation for the long wait) and I happened to write it in Japan ( I finished it when I was in Kyoto). So I hope you all enjoy

Just a quick note, I would like everyone to know that I do not like Tessa, I have never liked Tessa and I will never like Tessa no matter how helpless, innocent or compassionate she may seem to be. In spite of this I do understand her feelings and tried to portray these feelings accurately. Although what happens later in the chapter may seem like harsh characterization of her, it's my fan fiction and it happens to be a Kaname/Sousuke one so I would ask of all who in someway which I cannot particularly fathom happen to like Tessa I apologize in advance and ask that no flames to be left on this subject matter. You have been warned.

Finally I would like to thank all of my loyal readers who have this story on their favorites and alerts. It means so much to receive such wonderful and flattering reviews and I appreciate and look forward to each and every one. They are an author's greatest encouragement and motivation. I will try my hardest to get the next chapter out as soon as time and inspiration allows me (and yes, I do mean to finish this if it's the last thing I do).

Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

With love,

Serenita

Chapter Eight

_To Liveand Die for You_

Sousuke ran stealthily through the thickly covered forest heading due south and coming closer and closer to the distinct sound of metal against metal and explosions along with the sound of raised voices speaking in command with an almost indistinguishable tone. He hadn't any idea of how long he had been running through the thick wooded area trying desperately to find a way out. He knew that he would be walking or rather running right into the enemy's hands and he would have to get through them before he would be able to get to where Kurtz and Mao were. Normally he would be focused on the danger of the situation and what tactics he would use to get himself through the gates without danger. But his lips still tingled with the memory of the sensation of Kaname's lips pressed against his, his body still felt where she placed her weight against his body when she returned his somewhat clumsy kiss. Now the only thought on his mind was to get back to her as quick as he could. He wanted her to respond to the last words he left her with.

He saw that the foliage that surrounded him had begun to thin out and he could see the light and feel the heat of the explosions as well as the increasing intensity of the sounds of the actions that were taking place. He stopped as the surrounding trees revealed the battle scene that was taking place. He saw that indeed there were two of the newest arm slaves as well as other lower quality ones fighting against the somewhat degenerate arm slaves the Russians were using. He watched as they fought and saw that even with their degenerate arm slaves the Russians were holding their own and it was indeed a hard and damaging battle.

He quickly assessed the situation and concluded that the quickest was out of the camp site was to make a run for it. He would have to run between three or more battles between arm slaves and make it through without getting stepped on or blown up. It was not exactly neither the safest nor the most proper way of acting but soon Sousuke found himself running, running faster and harder than he ever could recall in his particularly short lifetime. He could never really recall how he made it across the battle scene and through blown opening in the wall that surrounded the compound without getting blown to bits but before he knew it he was running through the legs of one of the arm slaves that Kurtz and Mao used and into their protection. He had made it just in time for as soon as he ran into their protection more of the Russian's arm slaves came as reinforcement for the terrorist side.

"Kurtz!" Sousuke yelled knowing that the Russians would be unable to hear him over the sounds of the battle. He grabbed the attention of the arm slave nearest to him obviously holding Kurtz as it turned to look down upon him. "Where is the land base?" He asked still shouting. Kurtz's arm slave pointed back dead east to a small hill in which Sousuke assumed overlooked the shore of the Pacific Ocean. "Right. I'll be back!" Sousuke said before turning and running again this time to the south eastern end of the island.

He had to reach the land base so he could contact that Dannan, request the transfer of the Arbalest, return and help Kurtz and Mao, find Kaname and get her safely home after wiping out what remained of Silent Death and try to capture their leader alive and bring them in for questioning. All of that was important, but right now his drive was based off his need to get Kaname out of there safely, nothing else mattered. He ran thinking only of her, that being his drive alone.

He found himself at the land base within twenty minutes and received surprised but happy greetings from his fellow crew members. Sousuke quickly caught his breath and responded to their greetings non-verbally as he found speaking somewhat difficult at the time. Once his found his voice or rather the air necessary for speech he requested a transmission to the Dannan, specifically to Tessa.

"Captain…" Sousuke spoke with an urgent edge he had hoped to be able to hide.

"Sergeant Sagara. I am happy to know that you are unharmed and well." There was a trace of relief and joy that was evident in Tessa's voice that she was not able to hide. "We will be sending a vessel to transport you back onto the Dannan, Kurtz and Mao will be able to transport their team after you are cleared off the island."

"What about Kaname?" Sousuke asked with urgency, wondering why the captain had not mentioned the plan to rescue Kaname as well. A silence followed his question, an extended silence that filled the airwaves between them with a heavy and unnamable tension.

"There is no action we can take to assist Ms. Chidori's transport off the island. It is out of our hands now."

"Out of your hands? How can that be? Kaname is…"

"There is nothing that can be done to evacuate Ms. Chidori from the enemy territory. It's impossible." Tessa spoke in such an emotionless tone that it chilled Sousuke to his bones.

"That is inaccurate." Sousuke continued not letting Tessa's statements throw him too off guard. "I could assist Mao and Kurtz if I had the Arbalest and it would be easy to retrieve Kaname, escape the enemy territory and then bring her back along with the rest of the team. Just send me the Arbalest, I can do this, I know I can…" Sousuke said with a determination and a finality that he never knew he held within himself.

"That is impossible." Tessa spoke again with the same empty and chilling tone. Sousuke was thrown.

"I do not understand. What do you mean it's impossible? How could it be impossible?"

"Because I will not allow it to be possible." This statement shocked Sousuke. Tessa would actually allow Kaname to be left for the terrorists to do God knows what to her even though she could prevent it.

"Why not? Why will you not allow the Arbalest to be launched? Explain yourself!"

"You should remember your place, Sergeant Sagara. It is your Captain that you are speaking to, not some fellow crew member." Tessa spoke with bitterness in her voice.

"Tell me damn it!" Sousuke yelled. He felt his rage rising with every word. Tessa was being petty, and he couldn't believe that she would allow such possible harm to come to Kaname. He knew that her reason would not be viable enough to outweigh Kaname's death and he wanted her to speak her reason in front of all of the crew present with him and with her. She was silent for a moment.

"Your life is more important to Mithril than that of Ms. Chidori. She is not worth the risk of your death or that of any of our crew." Sousuke froze. He could not believe what he was presently hearing. It made his heart ache to hear such disregard for Kaname's life, a life he thought Tessa had valued in itself. He could not believe Tessa would do such a thing, such a reckless and mortal thing. He found himself feeling loathing towards his Captain for the first time in his life.

"Send me the Arbalest if you value my life, I will go to Kaname with or without your help." His voice was harsh and chilling, a tone unheard by most present.

"I- I will not allow you to leave the base." Tessa replied faltering, her voice no longing holding the indifferent superiority it once held. Sousuke laughed darkly in reply, the crew around him murmured softly in response. No one had ever seen this side of Sousuke and had lived to tell about it.

"You cannot stop me. You know what I can do if you try to stop me. The consequences of my actions will be your fault alone." His voice was a dark whisper, an unearthly sound.

"Sergeant Sagara…" Tessa began her voice meek. "…Please understand… I find it impossible for myself to allow you to return to such a dangerous mission without fearing for your life and wanting to find a way to prevent harm from coming to you. You are not only important to Mithril but you are important to me and I could not bear the burden of your death on my hands. Ms. Chidori is important to Mithril, and I find her a charming girl, but you are more important to me. There are other Whispereds. Going back into the terrorist base to save Ms. Chidori is an extremely dangerous mission and I do not want your death to be defending her." Tessa spoke with a tension in her voice, one that impaired the steadiness of her voice and allowed her to sound more childlike. She paused. Sousuke found himself shocked by her words. On some level he had recognized her non-platonic feelings for him but he had chosen to ignore them. He never thought that she would allow her feelings to cloud her judgment so much. Then again, he himself would never put himself so on the line for anyone else but Kaname, so he understood where her actions came from.

"I care for you deeply…" Tessa continued pulling Sousuke from his thoughts. "I know that my heart is making my decisions for me instead of my mind and they may be poor decisions…but I need you to live, Sousuke…I need you…" Tessa trailed off leaving a silence in the air.

Sousuke paused, allowing that which was revealed by her statements to settle before he replied.

"Captain, if all that you say is true then there is something that you need to understand…" He spoke in a much softer voice one without the darkness it had once held. "If you say that you care for me so deeply that you would not be able to live after my death, that you would risk the life of another person you are fond of to ensure my safety. If you say that if any harm came to me and the fact that you could have prevented it would torment you, then you only comprehend an infinitesimal fraction of my affection and need for Kaname."

The time it took Tessa to reply was only a few seconds, but to all present it seemed much longer.

"I will be sending the Arbalest to a point 1.5 miles west of the land base. It will be available to you within 45 seconds." She spoke, her voice strained. "You better hurry."

"Thank you, Tessa." Sousuke said with a kind tone before he dropped the receiver and ran towards where the Arbalest would be. He knew he probably had hurt Tessa deeply with his words and he would apologize to her later, but he would not let her jealousy for Kaname and her feelings for him allow any harm to come to Kaname. His drive to protect her was an instinct, a compulsion that he could not control, and he would complete this action or die trying.

Kaname had little clue how long it had been since Sousuke left her alone in the little clearing that they had come upon. She felt so alone sitting in such an isolated area listening to the terrorists communicate to each other in Russian which she couldn't understand. This allowed her much time to contemplate on the events that had taken place between Sousuke and herself just before he left her.

He had kissed her. Sousuke. Her protector, her bodyguard, the military obsessed boy who had walked into her life and created a chaos that she could not live without. The man who was a Sergeant of a high priority division of the military who dealt with classified information, dangerous missions, and top secret missions. This young man whom she felt such a strange mixture and stirrings of emotions for, who rarely showed his true emotions that he had been trained to conceal, who saved her life countless times had clasped his lips to hers in such an unexpected and thrilling manner that had left her breathless.

She remembered the sensation that the pressure of his lips against hers had created along with the sensation of his body pressed so close to hers, actions that seemed to want to bring her deep within. There was such passion; it was the only way she could think to describe it, a passion far too great for her to comprehend, one that she held within herself not being realized by her. She remembered how when he pulled away from her almost unwillingly, both of them breathless, he had looked deep in her eyes, almost as if he were searching for her soul. And then he had kissed her again, this time a tender, delicate kiss that was as exhilarating as the first.

Memories of those moments left her mind whirling, a strange feeling of fluttering within her abdomen that was neither painful nor exactly pleasant but thrilling all the same. If these actions weren't enough to leave her in such a state of breathlessness and chaotic thought this same man had told her the he loved her without any hesitation or faltering of voice. He said these words with such a certainty that immediately she believed him without any doubt in her mind or her heart. From the way he spoke these words she knew that these feelings were not ones that had risen suddenly or ones that lacked depth. They were emotions that had been stirring and that had been contemplated on for a long while. They were pure and true. And on some level this knowledge frightened her.

He loved her. He truly, honestly loved her and with absolutely all of himself for she knew Sousuke was not one who would love lightly or feel without depth. He was all about extremes, having a total response towards something or feeling absolutely nothing at all, and just the fact that she knew this about him caused her to wonder about herself. How could it be that she knew such intimate details about Sousuke?

She was certain that not many people could know this about him. This was a knowledge that came from intense exposure and study of such responses. Which meant Kaname herself must have thought about Sousuke for long periods of time to decipher such actions, she would have to know him on an intimate level, one much closer than that of friendship.

The knowledge that she had unconsciously gotten to know someone on such an intimate level had frightened her, but at that same time it was exhilarating. This thought had brought her to the most frightening yet wonderful conclusion of all; she loved him too. She needed him by her side. She had experienced life without him there and it was almost impossible for her to function. She had become so accustomed to him always being around that she felt an empty space in her heart when he was away, a large part of her heart that seemed to disappear whenever he was away for a long period of time. She missed his outrageous reactions to simple, everyday things, his gentle, childlike confusion to things that he was unaccustomed to, his extreme reactions to the 'dangers' she encountered, she even missed his sometimes confusing military talk.

She loved everything about him and she wouldn't change him for the world. On some level she had recognized these feelings but had never voiced them, she had never really even fully admitted them to herself. But the knowledge that this man felt for her just as passionately as she felt for him, something that she had never even conceived as a possibility, allowed her true feelings to be made known to her, and she was overwhelmed.

A chokingly overwhelming fear for Sousuke's wellbeing came to her and she found herself terrified. She would be lost if something ever happened to Sousuke, if he died she didn't think she would ever really be able to function normally again, she would never fully recover from the event of his death. She needed him to live, she needed to be with him, she never wanted to leave his side even in battle and these thoughts scared her.

She was such an independent person and for her to need someone else so much that her life depended on it was inconceivable to her. She could not fully comprehend this, all she did know was that Sousuke was the most important person to her in her life and she was trade his life for anyone else without hesitation, especially her own.

To feel for someone so deeply, to need someone so much, and to be unable to live without a certain person her life all was so new to Kaname. The fear and the excitement all was new to her, but she knew it was real and that it was true love, that Sousuke was the only man that could ever be in her life and no one could ever fill the void within that would be within her if he were to never be in her life again.

Kaname didn't realize that she had tears pouring down her cheeks until the drops fell upon her uncovered thighs. Her hand flew to her mouth to muffle her gasps. She was crying silent tears at such an emotional revelation. She never knew how long she had cried, but the moment was interrupted by a familiar voice calling to her from the two-way radio that lay at her feet.

"…Kaname? Kaname? Can you hear me?" Sousuke's voice called to her in an almost frantic manner. His voice was weaker than normal as he sounded like he was out of breath. She suspected that he must have gotten the Arbalest and had been fighting the Russians in their arm slaves to get back to her. He probably had not rested at all, focusing all his energies in bringing her back to safety. It made her heart ache. She picked up the receiver that was resting on the forest floor at her feet and quickly responded.

"I'm here…I hear you Sousuke." She responded having composed herself as much as possible.

"Are you alright? Your voice sounds abnormal." He asked with concern in his voice.

"I'm fine, honestly." She assured him, happy to hear his voice.

"Are you at the same location that I left you?"

"Yes, I haven't moved."

"I need you to move from where you are and head due north. Do you know which way that is?"

"Umm…"

"You need to head towards the direction we came from when we ran."

"You mean you want me to run back towards that building? Where all the terrorists are?" She asked, her voice strained with surprise. Sousuke was silent for a moment.

"Kaname, you trust me, right?" Kaname was surprised by the question but didn't falter in her response.

"Of course I trust you. But…"

"Them turn around and head due north. Start running." He spoke with a very calm tone. "Now!" He commanded in which she obeyed almost involuntarily. She began running, climbing up the small ledge and through the thicket of forest where just hours earlier she and Sousuke were fleeing through hand in hand. Now she was alone and focusing all her energy into getting to him.

"Where am I running to?" She asked in a panting voice.

"You'll know when to stop."

"But…"

"Please…just trust me Kaname." He voice was pleading again, a sound that made the ache in her chest greater.

"Okay." She said softly in reply. She ran. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, faster than she even thought possible herself. She found herself becoming tired and her breathing more labored. It seemed so much easier running earlier with Sousuke by her side. Just when she had begun to panic, the forest surrounding her seeming never ending, it suddenly cleared and she almost ran head first into the metal base of the Arbalest.

Skidded to a stop, clinging to the Arbalest's base for support and she fought to quickly catch her breath. Suddenly she felt herself being lifted up into the air and she realized that she was now cupped protectively in the hand of the Arbalest that was presently looking down at her. She felt relief settle within her, an indescribable calmness that spread throughout her entire being.

"You're alright." Sousuke stated over the two-way, relief evident in his voice.

"…Sousuke…" She whispered softly over the radio, the only thing she was able to say at the time. She breathed for a moment catching her breath. She wanted to tell him, before anything else got in the way of them again. Anything could happen to them, at any moment one of them could be injured, captured and taken away, or even killed. She wanted to let him know her true feelings, to tell him that she loved him.

"Sousuke… I…"

She then yelled in surprise clinging desperately to the machine when she felt the Arbalest shake and move backwards before ducking another attack and moving away from the arm slave that had just attacked them. Kaname was quickly placed down on the ground gently by the Arbalest before it moved towards the enemy arm slave that had stopped northwest of where they were. The Arbalest stopped moving forwards suddenly. Everything then was deathly still.

The Arbalest and the terrorist arm slave did not move for sometime but Kaname felt an overwhelming tension in the air. She supposed that the two were communicating with each other but whatever was being said was not being communicated to her. She noticed that the arm slave was a higher class model, one that she had never seen before. But just from looking at it she knew that it was on par with the Arbalest and it wouldn't be easy to defeat.

She then saw a bright flash of light emit from the opposite arm slave and felt hesitation from the Arbalest to move. It then followed by a late movement to move towards her. But he was too far away. She then realized far too late that the fatal attack emitted by the terrorist arm slave was coming towards her at an astonishing rate and there was nothing she could do to stop it from killing her.


	9. Chapter Nine: One Last Touch

A

A.N.

So…it's been like two years since I have updated this work, and I just wanted to apologized to all the readers that have reviewed and continued to read and enjoy this fiction. I had every intention of finishing it and I still do, but after the last chapter I ran into a huge case of writers block on top of life throwing me a few curveballs (oh were there curveballs). But I have finished this chapter (and it was the hardest chapter for me to write ever!). I still don't completely like it, and one day I may come back and change it. But for now I think it is good for now.

I would just like to apologize again and I appreciate every review and everyone's support for this fiction ( it happens to be one of my favorite ideas).

PLEASE REVIEW! Feedback is welcome and wanted! (but if you flame, please be kind about it)

Serenita

Also, Sousuke may be a little OOC in this chapter, but hey, it's midnight and I have to get up for organic chemistry tomorrow/today so if he's OOC, so be it.

Disclaimer: I do not own FMP or any of it's characters

Chapter Nine

Sousuke stood at the edge of the clearing waiting for Kaname to run from the safe place he had left her. He was weary from the battles he had had in order to get to her and could sense the Arbalest was somewhat damaged as well. But more than anything he was worried about Kaname. He feared that she would be intercepted, that she would not reach him, that she would be…

_Killed_

No, he would not think on such things, not when both of them were in such a dangerous situation…he could not let his emotions get the best of him…her life depended on it.

Just as his worry was about to become panic he sensed something run into the leg of the Arbalest. Looking down he found Kaname clinging to the Arbalest out of breath but looking perfectly fine otherwise. _'Thank God.'_

He reached down, picking her up to bring her closer to him and cupping her gently in the Arbalest's strong hands.

"You're alright." Sousuke stated over the two-way, not hiding the relief in his voice.

"…Sousuke…" He heard her whispered softly over the radio. She was safe and she was with him.

_Everything would be fine_

He saw her open her mouth to say something to him before he felt that Arbalest shake in response to an attack from behind him. He quickly placed her on the ground before turning and moving towards the Arm Slave that had attacked him, placing himself between it and Kaname.

"Sergeant Sagara….what a pleasure it is to finally meet you." A masculine voice spoke to him in heavy Russian accent.

"Who are you?" Sousuke demanded. He quickly sized up the Arm Slave noting that it was a model similar to his but one that he did not recognize as Mithril's.

"Who I am does not matter. I'm sure you've noticed that the Silverlight I'm using is quite similar to the Arbalest. And I'm sure you wonder how it is that Silent Death was able to develop such technology. I will indulge you. Silent Death is endorsed by Amalgam and it is through them that we are able to have such sophisticated technology. But the Silverlight was given to us by one of them in return for a favor; your execution and the capture of the Whispered girl unharmed."

"Who commanded this of you? Why did they specifically want Kaname?" Sousuke inquired, hoping to keep the man distracted and he continued to analyze the Silverlight for its weak points.

"She was requested by Leonard Testarossa." Sousuke found himself freeze at the mention of Tessa's older brother, one of the leaders of Amalgam. Sousuke had found out of Leonard's interest in Kaname sometime ago and the thought of him cause rage to boil within him.

"I will not let you have her." Sousuke growled deeply, unswervingly.

"Oh, I have no intention of handing her over." He paused. "In fact…I have no intention of letting her live."

Sousuke watched as the Silverlight moved faster than he had expected raising it's arm and aiming directly behind Sousuke…aiming directly at Kaname. Sousuke moved to block the attack but he knew he was not quick enough. Dread filled within him as he reached out towards Kaname trying to protect her. His need to protect her was desperate and it consumed him. His only thought was to protect her, the only thing he knew how to do.

He realized too late that his actions were futile. He had moved too slowly. He hadn't blocked the attack at all. Instead, because of his intense desire to protect her having consumed all of him, the Arbalest had reacted using the lambda driver, reaching out towards her and releasing a sort of force field towards her. Typically this would have caused Sousuke to worry that he had attacked Kaname, but this felt different because it was powered by a need to protect another, not harm.

He watched helplessly as Kaname raised her arms to shield herself from the attack sent by the Silverlight before she was consumed by its attack and Sousuke's force field. An explosion occurred, lighting up the area with a piercing light so bright it was blinding. The light dimmed and Sousuke looked desperately for Kaname through the smoke that lingered in the area. What he saw caused his breath to catch in his throat and his heart to jump.

Kaname laid lifelessly on the ground, her eyes closed and her clothes singed from the blast. Surrounding her was a brilliant blue force field, the one that had come from him, protecting her.

"_Kaname_**! **_**KANAME**_!" He yelled to her through the radio that lay at her feet, hoping, praying that she would respond in someway to his words. She remained perfectly still.

Sousuke felt dread fall upon him. The heaviness in his chest that would not allow him to breathe easily, making everything feel heavy within him.

_Kaname…was she…did she die? Was she dead? Did he fail to protect her once again? Did he lose her?_ These thoughts ran through his head as he stayed still, almost catatonic, in shock of the scene that lay before him. Relief flooded through him as he saw her move suddenly, rolling to her side, moaning in either pain or distortion before becoming still once more. He noticed that she had scratches and burns on her body and feared that although his shield did protect her from being killed immediately her injuries indicated that she did receive some portion of the arm slave's attack. Depending on how much she was hit with could mean the difference between minor cuts and bruises to massive internal injuries.

A wicked laughter pulled him from the darkness within his mind, the laughter from the man in the other arm slave. "So she lives, for now. It matters not. She will not leave this island alive, whether it's by my hand or, if we tarry too long, her own obvious injuries will soon consume her so that she if beyond help's reach." Sousuke turned quickly towards the man, no longer frozen by the events that had previously occurred.

He was right. Kaname was still alive, but he feared her injuries may be serious enough to claim her life if she did not receive medical attention quickly. He had to get rid of him. He had to protect Kaname if she was still alive, if his protective force had gotten to her before the other's attack. He had to still be alive to continue to protect her. He pushed all other emotions from him, his mind protecting him from the mental breakdown he was so close to having. The only thing he allowed himself to feel at that moment was rage. He could lose it after he killed the bastard.

He turned on the man in the other arm slave, running at him full force and tackling the other arm slave to the ground with fierce force. This would have been a good move had the other man not immediately flipped him over and throw him a hundred feet in the opposite direction, through a small building, and having him land inches away from Kaname's still form. Before a he had a chance to move the arm slave was on top of him and stabbed a piece of steel from the rubble into the shoulder of the Arbalast. He felt the power surge through his arm slave and alert notices ringing in his ears. "Critical damage done to sector 8.'

"Did you think it would be so easy to beat me with your Arbalast?" The man's irritating voice rang in his ears as he struggled against the weight of the arm slave on top of him. He then found himself flying through the air again before being slammed down on the ground. 'Critical damage done to sector 2.' "Mithril is no match for Amalgam, none of you have any idea what we are capable of, what we have already set into motion." Sousuke struggled against the man, trying to connect with the Arbalast and activate the Lambda driver. He fired at him before being once again launched into the air and smacked against the side of the main building. He saw stars as his head smacked against the wall of the cockpit, the sound of it sickening even to him, knowing that he probably had a concussion. 'Critical damage done to sector 10.'

He rushed to stand and face his opponent but felt a sharp pain in his side as this time the Arbalast was stabbed with the steel through the main cockpit. He glanced to see that a deep, approximately nine inch gash had been cut into his side and was bleeding profusely. The situation was bad. The Arbalast was struggling with the massive damage having been done to it, he wasn't able to activated the Lambda driver, he was mentally and physically drained after everything that had happened that day, and he was bleeding fast and far too much for him to be comfortable with. He had to accept the possibility that either he or the Arbalast may not be able make it through in time to save Kaname, or at all. If he was defeated she would die, or perhaps even be taken away…back to Leonard.

He couldn't let that happen…he couldn't let him have her, he had to get to her, he had to defeat this asshole, because she needed to be safe, because he wanted to spend every day of his life with her, protecting her…because he loved her. Sudden adrenaline and power ran through him, he could feel his connection with the Lambda driver and knew what he had to do.

The Silverlight was flying through the air before slamming to the ground with an extreme force so great that it was buried deep beneath the paved ground. Everything was still for a moment, completely and death still, like the calm before the storm. Then the Silverlight was up, crawling out of the twenty-foot deep hole it had made when Sousuke threw him there. The man chuckled a weary laugh, obviously injured from his attack, before standing upright, preparing to fight one again.

"Very good, little boy. I didn't think you had it in you. Now the battle can really begin." He spoke with an obvious smirk in his voice.

"Negative." Sousuke returned. "Now it can end."

The other arm slave moved to send a power blast at him as Sousuke reached inside him and poured all of himself into the attack, wanting only for his opponent to just disappear. They both attacked each other simultaneously with a blast of power but Sousuke's attack quickly overpowered the other arm slave, completely consuming it. He watched in slight surprise as the Silverlight completely disinagrate in front of him from his attack, leaving nothing but dust and rubble behind. It was over.

Sousuke felt the adrenaline that had come with the battle start to leave him and in it's place he felt extreme pain, dizziness and exhaustion. He knew he needed to stop and attend to his injuries, but the only thought in his mind was Kaname so he paid no attention to his body screaming at him to stop and climbed shakily out of the battered Arbalast. He looked to see the shield that the Arbalast had placed on Kaname had disappeared leaving her unprotected. She was still quiet, still lifeless and fear knotted in his chest at the sight.

He started to make his way towards her when his legs gave out suddenly from underneath him, bringing him to his knees and causing him to keel over. Intense pain ripped through his body, causing him to cry out, feeling the result of the serious injury he had been ignoring up until now for the first time. He glanced to his side to see the ghastly slash across the right side of his abdomen and the large amount of blood that had come from his wound, staining his shirt a dark crimson. He knew he had lost too much blood and that the blood loss was affecting him. His head was spinning as his vision became tunneled and blurry, feeling himself standing at the brink of consciousness.

It felt like dying.

"No…not now…" No matter how injured he was he had to get to Kaname, he needed to know that she was safe. As he desperately crawled towards her, panting because of the effort it took, he felt his body starting to shut down; his arms shaking underneath his weight, his lungs burning at the overexertion of his body. She was just in reach, mere feet away from her when his arms gave out on him and he collapsed down onto the rough ground, smacking his face on the pavement. His body begged him to stop, just to stay still and rest here; he had done enough, there was no need for more. But he couldn't stop here, he had to be near her, even if for a few moments, even if it was for the last time. He lifted his head with effort as he looked towards her, the darkness closing in on his vision as reached his hand towards hers, reaching with all the strength he had left within him.

"Kana…me…" he whispered hoarsely before the darkness finally consumed him and forced his broken body and weary mind into unconsciousness. The last thing he felt was the soft warmth of her hand in his.

Umm…okay, first I don't continue for two years and then I leave it like that. () But we're coming into the home stretch, only one more chapter and an epilogue left! And I promise I will try my hardest to update soon (like within a month) but I can't promise any earlier because my classes are kicking my butt this semester and I'm studying like 5 hours a day.

Thank you for everything!

REVIEW!! YAY FOR REVIEWS!


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